UNDER CONSTRUCTION
by KawaiiShortcake
Summary: I am cutting off this story due to lack of updating and improper grammar. I will upload this story again, but in a better version. Try again later..
1. Chapter 1

_**Hello there! This here is a SasukexOC story. I'm making it up as I go along but I think I'm doing fairly well. Read. Review. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any Naruto character mentioned in this chapter except for my OC Amaya.**_

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**x-(Intro)-x**

In the Haruno household, a particular girl lay asleep in her twin size bed. Light snores emitted from the back of her throat. Her window blinds were halfway open; letting any ray of morning sunlight slip into her room. One particular ray slowly pushed his way into the girl's bedroom and crept along the carpet to her bed. As it grew nearer and nearer it quickened it's pace. Successfully, it reached the girl's face and stopped all movement.

The snores came to a stop as the girl's eyes twitched. She could feel the warmth of the sunlight basking her face in all it's bright and warm glory. Opening an eye, she peered at her window. "Ahh!" Her eye clenched closed and she flinched away. "Too bright." She would groan. She sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes to rid herself of the sleepiness that lingered. With a scratchy moan, she would then stretch her upper body and arms high into the air and get her muscles moving for the day.

_**BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!**_

Emerald eyes snapped open. They peered to her right where a cheery hello kitty alarm clock sat; the glowing pink numbers blinking. She let out a tired sigh and stretch herself over half of the bed to switch off the alarm. "Damn clock." She mumbled. "Always scares the crap out of me in the morning."

"You idiot. It's supposed to do that." Another voice laughed.

She looked over and saw a girl, similar to her, slouching in the doorway. The girl had long, flowing, pink hair, emerald green eyes, was at a moderate height like herself, and wore a red, lacey, nightgown. She looked at the mirror across the room and examined herself. She had long, slightly wavy, pink hair, the same emerald green eyes, and was wearing a pink spaghetti strap tank top with her green bra straps showing and black silky pajama bottoms. She smiled at her reflection and turned to look at the girl.

"I know _that_." She said. "So whatcha' need Sakura?"

"Mom wanted me to wake you up." Her sister shrugged. "She made French toast. Better hurry before dad gets in there."

The two girls laughed at their tiny joke. Sakura nodded a goodbye and left for her room across the hall. The girl covered her mouth and let out a muffled yawn before sliding out of bed. She grabbed one of the towels stacked neatly in her closet and walked out of her room. "I call the shower first!" She stepped in and locked the door. A loud bang was heard on the other side of the door and she laughed.

"Ow! That's not funny Amaya!" Her sister argued.

"For me it was." She called back.

Amaya switched on the shower and set it to a medium heat. She then plugged in the 'water-proof' radio and tuned it to her favorite channel with many of her favorite pop artists. Once the water had heated up to her liking, she slipped out of her pajamas and jumped in the shower. She took about ten minutes to scrub herself clean before turning off the shower. She opened the shower door slightly and grabbed the towel from the rack next to the door. Drying herself off quickly, she grabbed a different small towel from the same rack and wrapped it around her hair so water wouldn't drip everywhere.

She poked her head out from the bathroom and searched for anyone in the halls before zooming into her room and locking the door. Amaya sauntered over to her closet and pulled out her usual outfit. She laid it out on her bed and dried herself off more before dressing. She first clipped on her strapless bra and slipped into her blue boy shorts underwear with chibi, yellow stars.

She discarded the large towel in her hamper near the door and walked back to her clothes. Grabbing the green spandex shorts, she put those on and pulled a hot pink tube top with spaghetti strap over her head. She modeled the outfit in front of her mirror; striking 'sexy' poses and pouting her lips. A bubbled laughter escaped her throat at her silly actions.

She picked up the pink and green knee-high socks and rolled them on her legs. Taking the black boots from the edge of her bed, she slid her feet through; afterwards flicking the cute silver chained accessory that hung from the left boot. Amaya walked over to her vanity and sat down. She took a small jewelry box from the corner of the table and lifted the lid to reveal different bracelets, rings, necklaces, etc. She took out a couple green and pink rubber bracelets and slid her right hand through them. She grabbed another bracelet, a pink one with spikes, and clipped that on her left wrist. Lastly, she took a pink chocker-looking necklace and securely clipped that around her neck. Instead of this being a metal chocker, this one was made out of thin cloth and bejeweled with fake, white jewels.

Putting the box away, she took out some make-up she would be using. Applying only a light layer of black eye shadow, eyeliner, and mascara. She took out a roll of lip-gloss and slid the smooth, cosmetic, gel over her lips; smacking her lips together a couple times to even the coat. Her lips were now slightly darker than her original lip color and had cute little sparkles; it also smelt like strawberries.

Getting done with her make-up, she decided to pull up her hair like usual. She quickly brushed through any knots that formed overnight and tied a hair tie in her hair after neatly settling her hair in a side ponytail on the left side of her head. She brushed it a few more times to make it smooth and tweaked her side bangs a bit before nodding at her reflection. She was done.

"Amaya! Come down for breakfast." An older woman's voice called.

"Coming mother!" She would reply.

Amaya exited her room and frolicked down the stairs. She turned the corner, into the kitchen, and quickly took her seat. She breathed in and exhaled with an, "_Ahh~_." Her mother was a great cook. Everything was delicious. "Morning mom." She looked at her father sitting across from her and her sister to her left. "Morning dad, Sakura."

Her father peeked over the top of his newspaper. "Morning Amaya."

A plate of freshly made French toast was set in front of her and she grinned. 'Thanks mom!"

"You're welcome dear." She said. "Enjoy!"

Their morning breakfast was a peaceful one. The girls' mother would ask how they were doing in school and they would reply with fantastic updates. The father would nod and smile at how well his daughters were doing and how fast they were growing. After breakfast the two girls bid their goodbyes and walked out of the house. A couple houses down, Sakura turned to her sister.

"Okay. How do I look?" She struck a pose. Amaya laughed and made a box with her fingers to imitate a camera. "Fine as always. Why?" The two started their walk again; keeping a nice pace.

"I have to look good for Sasuke." Sakura said; flipping her hair behind her shoulder. "Today's the day I finally impress him with my charm!"

Amaya stared at her sister with a _'Yeah. Uh-huh.'_ look. As they got further away from their home, Sakura kept on talking about Sasuke and how they were meant for each other. She even went as far as to tell Amaya what she'd name their kids when they married in the future. This was a usual thing for the two sisters. Amaya always encouraged her sister to go for Sasuke. Sometimes Sakura would 'threaten' Amaya to stay away from him. But she didn't care. Of course she thought the youngest Uchiha was good looking, but he was just so cold and distant. "He's all yours." Amaya would tell her sister.

They turned on a different street. Amaya was staring strait ahead, nodding to everything Sakura was saying, when she saw a platinum blonde haired girl up ahead. She stopped walking to wave dramatically and squeal girlishly. "**INO**!" Said girl turned around, confused, before squealing herself. "**AMAYA**!" The pink haired girl ran up to her friend and they tackled each other in a hug, successfully not falling over.

"How's everything going?" Amaya asked. "It's been a couple days since we last talked."

The blonde nodded. "It has! Everything's great. Maybe you can come over for-." The girl stopped talking to peer over her friend's shoulder. A frown came to her face. "Oh look. It's bill-board brow." Amaya would turn to see her sister scowling at Ino. "Shut it. Ino-**pig**!" The middle girl sighed. "Guys. Don't do this. Not here."

The two looked at her before glaring daggers at the other. "I'm going to sit next to Sasuke today." Sakura declared randomly. Ino's gaze hardened. "I don't think so. 'Cause _**I'm**_ going to sit next to Sasuke!" A heated glaring contest appeared before Amaya. Before the girl could say anything, the two rivals took off towards the Academy to beat the other in a victory seat next to their beloved Sasuke.

"Oh brother. Not again." She groaned. Sadly, the young kunoichi slowly followed the trail of dust her sister and best friend had created. She was halfway down the street when she heard her name being called.

"Wait up!"

She turned slowly and saw two of her classmates; Shikamaru Nara and Choji Akamichi. She instantly smiled. Those two were a couple more of her friends. Granted she's only hung out with them a couple times, she still calls them her friends. "Hey guys." She said once they caught up to her.

"Where's Sakura?" Shikamaru questioned. "Don't you two always walk together?"

Amaya jerked her thumb behind her. "You just missed her. She and Ino had an argument and they raced each other to the Academy."

Choji took a handful of chips from the bag he was holding and stuffed them in his mouth. "What fer?"

"They both wanted to sit next to Sasuke."

'_How troublesome.'_ The Nara boy thought. The two buddies looked each other with annoyed looks before walking with their girl friend to school. "Figures." They both mumbled. The three walked to the Academy together, occasionally talking about training, techniques, and other things. Amaya liked these two. They were very laid-back and Shikamaru always had interesting opinions on things. And Choji was always so sweet to her. When the trio arrived to their classroom, Shikamaru and Choji split away from Amaya.

Amaya noticed a giant crowd of girls hanging around a certain desk in the middle of the classroom and sighed. She already knew who that was. Sasuke Uchiha. Every now and then she felt like one of those fangirls. She wasn't obsessed with him, but she did think he was cute. Sometimes she'll think about grabbing a seat next to him and get to know him better; so his impression on her will change. Sadly her sister was after him and Amaya really loved her sister, so she let it go. She headed to her seat. Amaya glanced at her desk partner and saw her looking down at her lap and twiddling her fingers. Her name was Hinata Hyuuga. She was a kind hearted girl; always so quiet and shy. Amaya didn't know much about her but they were still friends. Amaya was usually the one to start conversations with the girl because she was so shy.

"Morning Hinata!" She waved. "How are you today?"

The blue haired girl looked up, startled, and stared at her pink hair friend. A blush adorned her cheeks. "O-oh. Amaya. Hello. I-I'm doing good." The pink haired girl smiled kindly. "Good!" A howl erupted from the back of the class and was followed by gruff laughter. The two looked at the door and saw Kiba Inuzuka walk in the class with his dog, Akamaru, perched inside his jacket.

"Yo, Amaya!" He greeted smoothly, sliding in the desk across the aisle from hers. "You look fine today." She scoffed at his shameless flirting. Yes. Kiba was indeed one of her 'fan boys.' He was the more persistent one out of the bunch. The others weren't so smooth and bold like Inuzuka. "Yeah. Thanks Kiba." She said, not looking at him. He frowned at this.

"Bark!"

The girl turned to see Akamaru jump out of his master's jacket and into her arms. She giggled and cuddled the dog close. "Awe, Akamaru!" She cooed; rubbing noses with the dog. "You're so adorable! You look well today." Kiba stared at his mutt with a shocked look. "Bark!"

'_Akamaru! How could you?'_ He thought bewildered. _'You stole her attention away from me!'_

Kiba sulked quietly while his little companion was being cuddled and cooed with. Iruka, the class teacher, came in shortly after; dragging a blonde haired, blue eyed, whisker-like face kid behind him. The class stopped their talking and focused on the teacher. Or more likely the complaining boy.

'_N-Naruto!'_ Hinata thought sadly.

'_What did he do now?'_ Amaya thought. _'You moron.'_

"I'm at the end of my rope Naruto. You failed the graduation test last time and the time before that." Iruka-sensei lectured. "Tomorrow you've got another chance, and you're messing up again!" Naruto decided to ignore him and turned the other way. Iruka's jaw clenched as a tick mark appeared on his forehead. "Fine! Because you missed it, _Naruto_, everyone will review the transformation jutsu!"

As the instruction was said, everyone in the class groaned. Amaya rose from her chair and slammed her hands on the desk. "That's not fair!"

"Not again." Shikamaru groan. _'Naruto, you idiot. What a drag.'_

Everyone sluggishly lined up at the front of the room. As kids passed the now untied Naruto, they glared or scoffed. "This is all your fault, Naruto!" Ino accused. "Why do you always have to drag us into your mess?" Shikamaru calmly added. The blonde looked away. "Pfft. Like I care." Amaya stood second in line, in front of Sasuke and behind her sister. She casted a glace at the raven haired boy. _'I wonder what he thinks of this?'_

"Alright. Up first is Sakura Haruno." Iruka claimed. The youngest Haruno nodded and stepped up in front of her teacher. "Alright! Sakura here. Let's do it." She said confidently. "Transform!" _**POP!**_ Smoke surrounded the girl entirely. As it drifted away, an exact copy of Iruka-sensei stood; grinning.

Iruka nodded. "Transformed into me, good." _**POP!**_ Sakura transformed back into herself and squealed; jumping up and down.

"Yeah! I did it!" She giggled. "Sasuke did you see that?"

Amaya rolled her eyes at her sister's fangirl side. "Sakura, the entire class saw it." Some of the students snickered at her comment. Sakura, however, didn't find this to be amusing or funny. She pointed an accusing finger at her sister. "Well let's see if _you_ can do any better!"

Amaya closed her eyes and nodded. "Challenge accepted." Sakura walked back to her desk, grimacing the entire way. _'She thinks she's so cool.'_ Sakura thought bitterly. _'Embarrassing me in front of Sasuke. What will he think? I can't let her show me up in front of him!_'' As she sat down, she stared at her sister with flaming, determined eyes.

Amaya stepped up to the front and stood before Iruka. "One Transformation Jutsu, coming up . . . Transform!" _**POP!**_ As the smoke cleared away, an exact copy of Ino stood in her place; smirking. She turned around and made a sexy pose for her sister. "How's this? Bill-board brow." She taunted. The real Ino laughed. Sakura shot up from her seat, fists clenched. "Why you-!"

Iruka, acting fast, held up his hand to stop his students from starting something. "Now, now Sakura. Calm down." Ino and I looked at each other before smirking at the pink haired girl. "Yeah Sakura!" We said together. "Calm down." Iruka looked down at her. "That's enough Amaya." She frowned and undid the jutsu. _**POP!**_

"I'm sorry, Sensei."

Iruka lifted his clipboard and scribbled some things down. "You did very well. I'm surprised you captured Ino's personality." He praised. She stuck her tongue out at her sister. "But I'm afraid I'm going to have to deduct points for using your jutsu to instigate a fellow classmate."

Amaya's jaw dropped. "_What?_ That's so unfair!" He looked at his student sternly; mouth in a thin line. "It's very fair. Now back to your seat." He ordered politely. "Sasuke, you're up." She slowly made her way up to her desk; ignoring her sister's small chuckles of victory. She, along with every other girl in the class, watched Sasuke's performance. She clapped with the other girls when he did an exact replica of Iruka-sensei.

As he passed some girls, they swooned and stared at him dreamily. As he made his way up the stairs to his desk, he stopped by her seat and just stood there. She looked up at him curiously. _'Hm?'_ He looked around at the other classmates before staring into her shining emerald eyes. "Nice job." He murmured, smiling slightly. Her eyes widened at the compliment. Her eyes followed him as he made his way to his desk in the far corner of the room. _'Did he just-?'_ She thought, shocked. _'Did he just _compliment_ me __**and **_smile_?'_

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**_I really hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Remember to Review! Thank you for reading._**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Oh good! You came back for another chapter. I'm glad you enjoy this story. Please: Read. Review. Enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Naruto characters mentioned in this chapter except for my OC Amaya.**_

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**x-(Final Exams)-x**

_x-(Earlier That Morning)-x_

_Amaya was in a peaceful slumber; dreaming of things only teenaged girls fantasize about. A small smiled adorned her face. She was enjoying her dream time. __**SLAM!**__ Her bedroom door opened; Sakura standing in the doorway, looking panicked. "Amaya! Amaya wake up!" The eldest sister shot out of bed and took a defensive stance atop of her mattress. "What? What happened?" She shouted in shock. She looked to her sister and dropped her stance. "Oh it's just you." The girl jumped off her bed and stretched out her muscles. "Whatcha' need sis?"_

_Sakura fisted her hands in her hair, a stressed look appearing on her face. "Don't you know what today is?" She would shout. Amaya shrugged. "No." The youngest sister would tackle her elder sister on the bed and pin her down by her shoulders. "Today's the __**final exam**__! We're not ready!" Amaya stared at her sister's face for a moment before laughing; catching the youngest by surprise. Moving aside, Sakura let her sister sit up._

"_Is __**that**__ what all the fuss is about?" Amaya said. Sakura nodded her head rapidly and sniffed; dry tears 'flowing' down her face. Amaya patted her sister's back in comfort. "Don't worry sis. We'll totally pass the exam." Sakura smiled a little at her sister's comforting words. The two sat on the bed for a moment; soaking in the peace and quiet._

_It was soon broken when Amaya jumped from her spot and grabbed her sister by the shoulders; shaking her back and forth rapidly. "What am I saying? We're not ready for this! __**We're guna fail**__!" Sakura's dry tears returned. The two sisters ran about Amaya's room, panicking their pretty little pink heads off._

_x-(Currently At The Academy)-x_

After a rough morning, the Haruno girls were calmed down by the helpful advice and comforting of their parents. The two were very nervous for the final exam, but they did their best to look brave and confident. They were ushered off to school; their parents wanting peace and quiet restored in their home. Sakura had instantly forgotten about the exam when she spotted _'her'_ Sasuke seated alone at his desk. Amaya decided that she should clear her head and concentrate on everything that she had learned in the Academy. The final exam would determine if she was ready to become a Konoha kunoichi. She sat down in her usual seat next to Hinata and stared intensely at the desktop.

The blue haired girl next to her twiddled her fingers and waited for her friend to ask how she was today. A couple minutes passed and the shy girl looked up. She glanced at the girl next to her and frowned. Amaya seemed to be deep in thought. _'S-should I ask w-what's wrong?'_ She thought to herself. Her hand reached out to touch the Haruno but reclined and sunk away from her. _'N-no! T-that would b-be rude.'_ She sighed.

"What's wrong Hinata?" She heard. Said girl jumped, letting out a startled yelp. With wide eyes, she looked to Amaya and saw emerald eyes staring at her with concern. "You okay?" The Haruno asked. Hinata blushed, a usual thing, and nodded. "I-I'm okay." She would say in a quiet voice. Her cloud-like eyes would drift to the floor before she looked back up at her friend. "Uhm. Amaya?"

"Yes Hinata?"

The girl lowered her head for a moment and thought of what to say. "U-uhm . . . A-are _you_ o-okay?" Amaya stared at her for a moment. It's true she wasn't at her best today. She was worried she wouldn't pass this exam. Pushing those worries aside, she forced a smile. "Of course!" The blue haired girl could sense she was lying but nodded anyway. It was best not to push any further.

Iruka soon came into class and clapped his hands. Everyone stopped talking and all eyes were on the adult now. Eyes scanning the crowd of students, he smiled and gave a curt nod in approval. "We will now begin the final exam." Amaya sighed; letting all her worries out with that single exhale. "When your name is called, proceed to the testing room. The final test will be on the clone jutsu."

Amaya's head shot up at this; a grin stretched onto her face. _'The clone jutsu? That's simple! I'm guna pass this for sure!'_ Hinata gave a sideway glance at her friend. Instead of her previous expression of dread and worry, it was now an expression of determination and confidence. Hinata smiled at Amaya's sudden change of mood.

At the mentioning of the clone jutsu, Naruto jumped out of his seat and fisted his hands in his blonde curls. "_Awe man_!"

Iruka then left the room to prepare for the first round of students. Everyone went back to their previous conversations. Ino and Sakura jumped out of their seats and ran to Amaya. "**Amaya**!" They screeched together. Said girl would look up and smile at her sister and best friend. "Hey you two!" Ino perched herself on the desktop in front of Amaya while Sakura sat on the desktop behind her sister.

"So about this final exam-." Ino said slyly. "We're totally guna pass it."

Sakura nodded. "We're finally going to become kunoichi! I'm so excited!"

Amaya grinned at their enthusiasm. She turned to the blue haired girl next to her. "Hinata, what do you think about this?" The girl twiddled her thumbs and blushed at being included in a conversation with the three. "W-well . . . I-it seems easy." The three surrounding her looked at each other before smiling at her quiet demeanor.

The three waited patiently for their names to be called. To keep themselves occupied, they chatted about random things; Sakura and Ino getting into an occasional argument. Hinata was pretty quiet through the whole thing, only speaking when she was asked about something. Amaya would separate the two rivals and start a new subject to clear the tension.

"Amaya Haruno." Came a call.

Amaya looked up and over at the exam room. She gulped and nervously stood. "Guess it's my turn." Ino and Sakura dropped their current heated argument to pat her on the back comfortingly. "Don't worry, girl. You got this in the bag!" Ino encouraged. Sakura nodded in agreement; a first for the day. "Yeah! You can do this!" Taking their word, she stood up strait and walked towards the testing room. "Wish me luck!" She called over her shoulder. "**LUCK**!"

The pink headed girl wandered into the room and stood in front of the two Academy teachers. She felt more relaxed to know only two of her senseis would be watching her performance. "Alright Amaya, all you have to do is make three clones." Mizuki, one of the instructors, explained. The girl nodded in acknowledgement before creating the proper hand sign for this jutsu.

_**POOF! POOF! POOF!**_

Smoke blocked the adult's view of Amaya as her clones appeared. Each had a different offensive pose; an expression of pure determination on each of their faces. Iruka and Mizuki clapped for her. Amaya smiled at their reaction. _'I did it!'_ She squealed. _'I'm finally a ninja!'_

"Good work Amaya!" Iruka praised.

Mizuki chuckled. "Yes. Outstanding."

The girl's eyes lit up and she gasped; a hand covering her mouth to prevent her from screaming for joy. The muffled question, "I passed?" Escaped passed her fingers. The two teachers grinned, each nodding. Letting out a quiet scream, she jumped up and down in pure joy. "Congratulations!" Amaya ran up to the table they sat at and picked out a blue forehead protector/headband. Thanking them, she skipped out of the room and giggled furiously in her excitement..

Ino and Sakura saw her run out of the room and charged at her. "_**Did you pass**_?" They shouted. Biting her lip, she held up her prize. The two girls admired the forehead protector. Looking at one another, they squealed and formed a group hug. Sakura was called in next; Amaya wishing her luck while Ino ignored her to admire Amaya's headband some more. Later in the day, everyone had preformed the exam and it was time for all the students to go home.

All three girls: Amaya, Ino, and Sakura had passed and were elated for their new title as Konoha kunoichi. As they stepped outside the school, they each took in a deep breathe of the late-afternoon air. Amaya looped her arms around their necks and brought them in close in a hug. "Girls," She began. "Yesterday; we were school girls. Today; we're official Konoha kunoichi!"

Sakura shoved a fist in the air. "No more games. From now on it's all for real."

"We'll be the best kunoichi this village has ever seen!" Amaya said.

Ino also threw her fist in the air. "Yeah! I'm with yah' sister!"

The three of them looked at each other, smirks on their faces, before enthusiastically pumping their fists in the air simultaneously. "Look out world. _**Here we come**_!"

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**_I hope you enjoyed this chapter also. I try my best to make it exactly like it would in the anime -or manga- for your delight. Remember to Review. Thank you for reading!_**


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry it took so long to update! School's been hectic. Anyway, I wanted to give you a heads up on the ages in this story. I don't feel comfortable that they're supposed to be fourteen. Is it possible for you readers to immagine them in their Shippuden form or so? If they're going to be in love later on and kiss, makeout, ect.- I can't have them be in their early teens! If you don't like them being older, by all means, keep them looking like the first series._

_**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the Naruto characters. Masashi Kishimoto does ... If I owned them, Sasuke wouldn't be such an ass and the Akatsuki would never die. :)_

_Enjoy and Review, please!_

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**x Time With Sasuke x**

"Alright then." Sakura sighed. "Now that our info cards have been filled out, I'm going to go find Sasuke. Bye!" Amaya waved to her sister and watched as she walked away. "Sasuke! Ooh Sasuke!" She sang. "Where are you?" Amaya sweat dropped and headed off in the opposite direction. _'Poor boy.'_ She thought. _'Constantly swarmed by his adoring fans.'_ She giggled at the thought of him running away from a crowd of squealing girls.

It was currently noon and the Haruno girls had just finished with their info cards. Every ninja of Konoha must fill out these cards and present them to the Hokage himself. The cards were probably used to count the numbers of ninja in the village and document them for future usage. Since her sister had run off, Amaya thought about what she could do for the rest of the afternoon. _'I could hang with Ino.'_ She pondered. _'Nah. She's probably out looking for Sasuke too.'_ Sighing, the girl just walked mindlessly along the street.

"**_Amaya_**! **_Amaya_**!"

The girl stopped in her tracks and peered around. Her name was called again and she quirked an eyebrow. _'Who's calling me?'_ She thought. Before she could ponder any further, someone ran right into her. **_THUMP! _**The two fell to the ground. Amaya coughed and swatted away the dirt cloud that erupted from under them. Once it was clear for her to open her eyes, she glared at the guy. "Hey. What's your problem?" Her expression changed when she saw it was Naruto. "Oh. Hey Naruto." The blonde coughed up some of the dirt and looked down at the girl. He blushed madly at the position the two were in. "H-hi A-Amaya." The girl noticed how he was hovering above her on all fours and frowned a bit. "Hey Naruto? You mind getting off me?"

The blonde, now red faced, scrambled to stand up; rubbing the back of his head and laughing nervously. "Sorry about that Amaya." He offered a hand and she gladly took it. "Thank you Naruto!" She said happily. "And accidents will happen. So what had you in a rush?" A little boy, the cutest Amaya had ever seen, pushed passed Naruto and looked up at her. He grinned, a couple teeth missing, and flashed her a peace sign. "Hey miss! My name's Konohamaru." Her eyes widened. _'**Oh**. **My**. **Lord**.'_ She thought. _'How cute is **he**!'_ A girlish squeal slipped passed her parted lips and she knelt down to hug the boy. "Awe! You're so _cute_! Look how _adorable_ you are!" Amaya gushed. The little boy blushed at her affection and gave a bubbled laugh. "Thank you miss!" She squealed again. "Aren't you just the cutest, most polite, little boy I've ever seen!"

Naruto's head steamed. _'What's up with Konohamaru?'_ He thought. _'I thought he hated the attention!'_ Naruto let out a fake laugh and pushed Konohamaru behind him to get some space between his crush and the kid. "Haha. Yeah. **Adorable**." The blonde growled out that last word through gritted teeth. "Anyway- Amaya, this is Konohamaru; the Hokage's grandson." Amaya gasped.

'The Hokage's grandson?'

She felt embarrassed that she had overreacted to a relative of the respected man. She got a good look at the kid. He still had some baby fat on his cheeks and pitch black eyes. His mocha brown hair stuck out in a ponytail at the back of some weird helmet he wore. He sported a yellow t-shirt with the villages' symbol in red thread, blue-grey khaki shorts that reached a couple inches below his knees with grey patches, and regular blue ninja sandals. He also wore a blue scarf that was so long it wrapped around his neck and trailed behind him, a third of it dragging on the ground.

"So Amaya," Naruto said. "Do you . . . You know . . .-" The boy stuttered. "Wana . . . Hang out?" He flinched back a little. Amaya stared at him curiously before smiling. "Sure!" The boy's head snapped up and he grinned. "Great! You wana get some ramen?" The girl giggled. "Sounds great!" Konohamaru looked between the two older kids before smiling as well. "I could go for some food!"

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Amaya watched with slight horrific-fascination as Naruto finished his tenth bowl of ramen. They had only just arrived fifteen minutes ago and ordered. She was only finished with half of her first bowl! _'Where does he put it all?'_ The old man behind the counter just took the finished bowl and washed it. _'He's not even fazed one bit! Is this normal?'_ The old man smiled at her. "You must be Amaya." He said. "You sure are a pretty little thing." She blushed at the comment. "Thank you sir."

"Naruto's told me a lot about you. I-." Naruto blushed tomato red and tried to change the conversation. "So how much do I owe you, old man?" Amaya nudged the boy's side. "Naruto! Don't be so rude." The old man let out a hearty laugh. "No need, young miss. I'm used to it. Naruto comes by all the time. Keeps me in business."

She '_Oh_'d.' The girl took out her thin wallet and filed out some bills. "Here. I can pay for my bowl." Before she could place down the money, Naruto's hand snatched hers. "Nah'. I got this Amaya." She brushed his hand off and smiled sweetly. "No it's okay! I can pay for myself." Slapping down money, Naruto quickly grabbed Amaya's arm and dragged her out of the shop. "Later old man! Come on Konohamaru." The kid stared at the pair curiously before shuffling after them. "Coming!"

Glaring, Amaya shoved the blonde off her. "Naruto! You didn't have to do that." Said boy shook his head. "I know that. But I wanted to." After his reply, she smiled softly. "Ah well. It was sweet of you anyway." Naruto chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah. I'm just that awesome!" Amaya, smiling, rolled her eyes.

"Amaya."

The two turned their heads and saw Sasuke. Amaya smiled. "Oh. Hey Sasuke!" The blonde next to her fumed silently. _'What's **he** doing here?'_ Konohamaru looked up at his 'boss' questioningly. _'What's got him mad?'_

"Hey boss!" He said. "Who's that?" Naruto just shook his head. "Nobody important." The younger boy didn't believe him but nodded anyway. The raven haired boy walked up to the group and eyed Amaya. "Hey." Konohamaru sweat dropped. He came by just to say hello? This guys' weird. Amaya seemed happy though. "I didn't think you'd be in town today." Amaya said. "You're usually training." Sasuke just shrugged. "Felt like taking a walk through town." She nodded. "Oh, okay."

Steam was coming out of Naruto's ears. He was jealous that Amaya seemed brighter around this show off! _'**Grrr**! Sasuke! Amaya's mine! You hear me?'_ Konohamaru was confused. Why was his boss acting so strange? "Ugh, boss? You okay?" The other two looked at the blonde. Inside, Sasuke was smirking. He knew his presence irritated Naruto. Amaya on the other hand looked concerned. "You don't look so good." Naruto just shrugged it off. "Nah, I'm fine. Nothing to worry over, Amaya!" He sent a glare at Sasuke before smiling at the girl. Sasuke openly glared back. Sparks flew between the two boys.

Unaware of the tension, Amaya smiled. "Oh. Okay then!" She turned to Sasuke and asked, "You wana hang out with us, Sasuke?" Naruto gaped at her invitation. She's inviting **_Sasuke_** to hang with them? Naruto didn't even want Konohamaru around! He just wanted alone time with the pink haired girl!

To his relief, Sasuke declined. "I'm just going for a walk." He paused before smiling ever so slightly. "You wana come?" Once again, Naruto fumed. He wouldn't let this show off take his woman away! "Actually, **_Sasuke_**, Amaya was hanging out with Konohamaru and I. So tough luck!" He stuck his tongue out at the raven haired boy. Sasuke just rolled his eyes. "Whatever, loser." Naruto glared again.

"Wait boss!" Konohamaru protested. "You said you'd teach me how to be a great ninja like yourself! I didn't know we were guna hang out with _girls_!" Sweat dropping, Naruto faced the boy. "Now, now Konohamaru. We can train later." He leaned closer and whispered, "I like this girl, see, and I don't want this loser to steal her from me." The young boy nodded, only understanding a bit of what was told to him. "Oh. Okay."

Amaya frowned. "Wait Naruto. We can just hang out later. You promised him something and I don't want to get in the way. I'll just go with Sasuke, okay?" The blonde felt betrayed. In his mind, Amaya had told him she'd rather hang with Sasuke than him. NO WAY! Naruto held back his depression and nodded. "Okay." Amaya leaned over and kissed his cheek before walking off with Sasuke. "Thanks again for the ramen, Naruto!"

Said boy blushed a dozen shades of red. She kissed him. She _kissed_ him! "Boss?" Naruto, looking dazed, nodded. "Yeah?"

The boy hesitated before saying, "I don't think you have a chance against that other guy." **_BONK!_** "Owe!"

"Shut up, runt!

* * *

"It's so nice out today!" Amaya sighed happily. Sasuke had lead her to his favorite path that ran through the forest. He would walk this path every sunrise and sunset to think. Get things out of his head or prepare for the next day. He glanced at the girl next to him before giving a curt nod. "Yeah." The girl smiled at him before examining their surroundings.

It was so serene on this path. So calm. The forest looked clean and untouched by human hands. The leaves were falling off and flew around the two as they made their way down the path. Trees were lined up and down the path and made a small arch over the two. "I never knew about this path."

"Not many do."

Amaya thought about it for a moment before smiling to herself. "You know?" She said quietly. "This would be such a romantic path if it was Autumn." Sasuke's heart picked up for a moment before he forced himself to calm down. He looked at her this time. "How so?" The girl sighed heavenly before lifting her arms and twirling. "When the leaves turn those pretty shades of red, yellow, and brown -and they fall off the tree- it would create such a beautiful scene." She stopped twirling and fell into step with the boy next to her. As her eyes caught his, the two looked away and blushed. Sasuke's a very light shade, barely visible, and Amaya's a solid pink color. Her heart skipped at beat at the exact moment their eyes locked. She felt all tingly. Curiosity racked her brain. _'Why am I feeling like this?'_

A little embarrassed to speak up, the two continued their walk silently. The path eventually split in two and Sasuke lead Amaya down the one which lead to a park. When the path merged with another one, Amaya looked up. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the old park she and Sakura used to play at. She looked at the boy next to her. His face was void of much emotion, but his eyes were soft and held a smile. He nodded to her and Amaya squealed to herself.

She took off towards the swing set and placed her tush on the middle swing. Pushing off the ground, she started to fly back and forth. The wind blew her hair around as she slowly increased in speed and height. She loved swinging. It made her feel free. Looking up at the clouds or even seeming taller than everyone else, it filled her with joy. Sasuke knew her feelings about swings as well. As a kid, he'd always watch her. It may have seemed like he was stalking her, or obsessed, but it was just innocent curiosity. The feelings he harbored for the girl were great -_even if he resisted them_- and he knew exactly what she liked and disliked.

The boy walked up to her and stood behind the swing, hands ready to push. Amaya flew towards him and he gently pushed her forwards. Amaya gasped and looked over her shoulder to see Sasuke. A ghost of a smile on his face. She grinned and let him push her. The two stayed like that for several minutes. Adults passing through would smile at the two. Thinking they were a young couple in love.

Amaya soon noticed a group of kids playing tag. She wished to join them but knew she was too old for such a childish game. She enjoyed watching them play though. It brought back happy memories of her childhood; even if it wasn't that far behind.

A frown slipped over her lips when she noticed them stop and huddle around a boy. As she got higher, she noticed they were laughing and pointing at him. She couldn't hear much of what they were saying though. Bad memories flashed in her mind. Memories of Sakura's bullied days. They stung Amaya's heart. How can kids hate another? It was cruel.

Without thinking, she jumped off the swing. Sasuke's heart stopped when he saw her no longer upon the seat. She was in mid-air. She had jumped off. Panic flickered across his face but before he could do anything, the swing seat hammered him in the gut. The air was knocked out of him and he bent over. By the time he had caught his breathe, Amaya was standing a foot away from him. Approaching her, he looked in the direction she was staring dazedly in.

Onyx eyes met the group of taunting kids. _'Those kids…'_ He thought. Stepping forward, he approached them. Leaving the pink haired girl to her old memories. He could hear every word the kids said as he grew near. Amaya followed subconsciously. The raven haired boy stopped behind some of the boys and stared down at them. The kids could feel eyes on their back and slowly turned around- jumping back in surprise at the sight of Sasuke.

"Who are you?" One of the boys asked. He shrugged off their question. "You're bothering this kid," He gestured to the orange haired boy in the fetal position. "Knock it off."

"Or what?"

Sasuke thought quick. He can't threaten to hurt the runts. It wasn't fair. "I'll tell your parents." Many of the kids, mainly the boys, snorted. "They don't scare me!"

"**_Kuro_**! You better not be bothering that older boy!" Some random woman yelled. One of the boy's faces paled. He zipped around to look at her before glaring at the others. "Come on guys." A few grumbled as they followed him. The girls looked at Sasuke nervously before running after the boys. "Hey wait up!"

Sasuke shook his head. He kneeled down next to the kid in the fetal position, and placed a hand on his back. "Hey kid." The boy's head snapped up, tears slipping down his cheeks. "They're gone." The kid looked around before nodding. Sasuke stood up and looked at Amaya and called her over.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she looked at the raven haired boy. She noticed all the kids gone and one boy left. Seeing the tears in his eyes worried her. She hurried over. "Are you okay?" She knelt down next to the boy and placed her hand on his head. He nodded, sniffing. "I'm alright, miss." Amaya gave a relived smile. "Thank goodness. I'm Amaya. What's your name?"

"Kyou." Amaya nodded. She scanned the park for an adult, hoping his mother was around, but saw no one. "Kyou? Where's your mother?" The kid looked away sheepishly. "At work." She gasped. "Did she leave you here all by yourself?" Kyou shook his head. "I was supposed to stay home until my brother came back, but I wanted to play in the park. So I-."

"You snuck out." Sasuke finished. Kyou nodded.

Amaya stood up and wiped her knees. She held a hand out for Kyou. He took it and was easily pulled up. "Well then." Amaya said. "We'll take you home." Kyou frowned. "You're not guna tell my mom, are you?" He mainly directed the question to Sasuke. The older boy didn't say anything.

"_Please_? I don't want to get in trouble!" The kid whined.

Amaya glanced at Sasuke, who shrugged. "No. We wont." Amaya promised. Kyou grinned up at her. She smiled back at him. The trio left the park and walked to Kyou's house. Amaya had small talk with the boy and learned he was only seven. He was a beginner in the Academy and was behind the other kids. That's why they were picking on him. He talked a lot about his older brother though. He was his hero. Amaya smiled the whole time. He really was a sweet boy.

The two dropped him off and bid goodbye, Amaya promising to visit sometime. They headed off into town. It was a quiet walk. Amaya looked up in the sky and saw the sun was setting. "I guess it's time for me to head home." She sighed. Sasuke glanced at her before smiling to himself. "I can walk you home." He looked away quickly. "If you want of course." Amaya smiled at him. "Really? Thanks Sasuke!" A thought crossed her mind. "Oh, but don't you live on the other side of town? You'd be getting home late if you walked me home."

He shook his head. "It's no problem." Amaya nodded and the two remained silent the entire way to the Haruno girl's house.

Butterflies tickled the girl's stomach. Her eyes drifted to the boy walking next to her. A blush quickly came to her cheeks and she looked away. _'Why am I acting like this?'_ She pondered the thought. _'I don't like Sasuke like that. He's nice an all … But all the other girls like him too.'_ An image of Sasuke holding another girl caused her to shake her head. That image infuriated her. Maybe she did like him? No. It's impossible. Especially with all his fan-girls.

Sasuke glanced at the girl next to him. She looked beautiful with the sunset hitting her face at that angle. A small smile came to his lips. What made this moment even more perfect was that she was different. Different from all the other girls. She didn't diet for him. She didn't change her look for him. She was perfect in his opinion. He noticed her face twisted with jealousy. _'What's she thinking about?'_

Amaya stopped suddenly and looked at the building she stood in front of. _'Well, I'm home.'_ Looking at Sasuke, she smiled. "Thanks for walking me home Sasuke." The boy shrugged. "It was nothing." She giggled. "Well I think it was sweet."

She stood there. Looking a little hesitant. Sasuke's eyebrow cocked. Wasn't she guna go inside? His heart picked up when she leaned forward. _'What's she-?'_ He blushed when Amaya's lips made contact with his cheek. "Good night, Sasuke." She smiled one last time and turned to enter the house.

He watched her back until the front door softly closed. He could hear his heart thumping wildly in the silence. His feet moved on their own; heading to the Uchiha compound. His mind was buzzing with thoughts about that kiss. He didn't even notice the smile on his face. _'One step closer.'_


	4. Chapter 4

_Hey! Finally updated chapter four. I think I'm getting better. I **do** think that I rush the conversations. Maybe I'm just reading too fast? Review your opinion if you think so too._

_**Disclaimer**: I don't own any of the Naruto characters, Masashi Kishimoto does. Saddly I only own Amaya._

_Please Review for me! Enjoy!_

* * *

**x{ Odd Sensations }x**

Sluggishly, Amaya made her way down the stairs. The girl had woken up later than usual and hadn't fully awoke. When she reached the bottom, she jumped off the last step. Half lidded eyes scanned the kitchen. "Morning Amaya." A man's voice greeted. She waved halfheartedly. "Morning dad." She shuffled to the table and plopped down in a chair. Her head, seeming heavy, slammed on the tabletop. "Owe." She groaned. The man laughed. "You're up late."

Amaya never picked up her head. "I didn't set my alarm clock."

A humming noise was heard as Sakura softly descended down the stairs. "Morning everybody!" Everyone greeted back. "I'm skipping breakfast today." She informed. "I decided to go to the Academy early." Amaya's head shot up. "What? Why?"

She giggled. "It's our last day as Academy students. I wanted to sit next to Sasuke one last time before we graduate!"

Amaya smiled. "Of course. I should have known." Sakura glared halfheartedly at her. "Yeah … Anyway, I'll be going now!" She walked to the front door. "I'll see you later!"

"Bye!" Their parents said.

Once the door closed, the kitchen was quiet. The father was looking over the morning paper and the mother was quietly eating her breakfast and looking over a magazine of hers. Amaya's eyes wandered around the room before she sighed and scooted back, getting up. "I guess I'll be heading out too." Her mother looked up. "Oh, but honey! You haven't eaten yet. There's some leftover rice balls in the fridge." The young girl shook her head. "It's okay. I can wait until lunch." She pushed in her chair and walked to the door. "Bye."

"Have a good day!"

On her way to the Academy, Amaya thought about the years she had spent training. She'd come a long way since her first day. Now she was going to graduate and become a Genin. She'd waited for this moment forever. Pushing all memories of the past aside, she thought of all the adventures she'd have in the future! Amaya would finally be assigned a mission. She could explore outside the village's gates. Learn advanced jutsu. And study her favorite subject: medical jutsu! She was definitely excited.

When Amaya had entered her classroom, she was overwhelmed. The air was filled with excitement and chatter. Everyone was ready to move on to the next level. As she passed her classmates, saying hello to most of them, she'd notice they all wore their forehead protectors proudly. Her own was tied around her neck- where her ribbon chocker once was.

Amaya approached her normal spot and saw her friends already surrounding her empty desk. Grinning, she ran over and slid in the seat. "Hey guys!" Her eyes drifted to each of them. Shikamaru and Choji sat in the seat behind her and Hinata. The tubbier Genin noticed her village headband and grinned. "Congratulations Amaya!" She thanked him. "You too Choji!" Shikamaru, eyes closed, smirked. "Hey. You made it." She scoffed in a mock-offense. "Of course! I didn't work my butt off for the past few years for nothing!" He chuckled.

Kiba and Shino were seated in the booth next to hers. Kiba was overjoyed to see her here. He smirked and gestured to his own headband tied to his forehead. "Looking good, right Amaya?" She rolled her eyes. "If you mean _me_, then yeah!" Everyone laughed at her light joke. She leaned over and waved to Shino. "I knew you'd make it. Congratulations!" He nodded; his way of saying '_Thank you_.'

The pink haired girl finally turned to the other girl seated next to her. "Hinata!" She hugged the shy girl. "I'm glad you passed too!" Hinata blushed and nodded. "Yes. T-thank you." She said quietly. "Congratulations to you too." Amaya giggled and thanked her.

The group chatted amongst themselves to pass time until class started. "You ready Shika?" Amaya teased. Said boy opened one eye lazily. _'Urgh. Again with the nickname.'_

"What do you mean?"

Amaya gave him a '_Duh_!' look. "The missions! You can't be lazy on missions, you know." The Nara boy shook his head. "I can handle them." She looked at him quizzically. "Shikamaru. You're the laziest out of everyone graduating this year. How do you expect to still be your lazy self when you're on missions?" He smirked. "I can find a way around that." She pouted. "Awe. And to think I'd finally get you to move your lazy ass." Shikamaru shrugged lazily.

Kiba laughed. "Fail, Amaya!" She lightly punched his arm and laughed. "Oh shut up!" Everyone went quiet when Naruto walked in the room. Some of the students stared at him, shocked, that he'd actually passed. Amaya gaped. '_Oh my gosh._' She noticed the forehead protector he wore and sweat dropped. '_Did he wear that yesterday? How did I not notice it?_'

The blonde ignored everyone's stare and advanced in her direction. "Oh no. Not him." Kiba grumbled. Amaya shushed him. "Be nice, Kiba." She smiled sweetly when he approached. "Hi Naruto!"

"Amaya! Glad to see me here, huh?" The boy gloated.

"More like shocked." Kiba muttered. Amaya picked up a pencil and threw it at the mutt. "Shut up!" She turned back to the blonde. "Yeah! I'm glad you passed." He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "It was totally easy! No sweat." She sweat dropped. '_I doubt that. You were complaining about it the day of the exam._' She smiled none the less. "Well I'm glad you'll be graduating with us, Naruto."

"Oh come on!"

Her head snapped in Kiba's direction. Spring green eyes sharp and daggered. "Kiba." She warned. He paled and laughed nervously. "I mean …. Congratulations, kid." Naruto ignored him. "See yah' around Amaya!" The two waved before the blonde walked off. Once he left, the group continued their conversations. Not soon after, a commotion was heard on the other side of the room.

"What's going on over there?" Amaya questioned. The boys shrugged. They craned their necks to try and get a glimpse over the crowd of girls forming around Sasuke's desk. Kiba rolled his eyes. '_Figures it's about Sasuke_.' Shikamaru, not bothering to look, sighed heavily. "What a drag."

"Naruto!" Amaya heard. "Stop glaring at Sasuke!" She was confused. '_Sakura? What's going on?_' The girls all grumbled an agreement. The crowd grew quiet for a moment before an uproar caused the group to jump. "_**NARUTO**_!" Everyone glanced at each other with '_What the hell?_' looks. "Whoa wait-! It was an accident!"

"What happened?" Amaya asked. "Did anyone see?" They shook their head. _**POW! SLAP! CRASH! BANG!**_ "Whatever that numbskull did pissed off those girls big time." Kiba added. Everyone nodded. Nobody saw Hinata's shocked and concerned expression. Arms tucked in close to her body and hands covering her mouth, she prayed for Naruto's well being. '_Not again, Naruto._' She thought. Her eyes drifted to the mob of girls. '_Please be okay._'

* * *

"As of today, you are all ninja. To get here, you've faced difficult trials and hardships." Iruka praised. His eyes scanned the students he'd taught over the years. His heart ached knowing they'd all move on. His eyes landed on a bruised Naruto and he sweat dropped. '_Oh Naruto._' He still felt dread knowing his favorite student was passing with his classmates. '_At least you've grown up . . . Even if just a little bit._' He looked back at the lecture he'd have to give the students. Continuing, he said, "But that's nothing. What comes next will be far more difficult. You'll graduate and become Genin; first level ninja. All the genin will be grouped into three man squads. Each squad will be lead by a Jounin; an elite ninja."

Kiba smirked. '_Three man squads, huh?_' Coal eyes drifted to the pink haired girl in the desk next to him. "Amaya." He whispered. Her head turned just a little bit, spring green eyes focused on him. "What?" He suppressed his smirk from getting any bigger. He didn't want to be _too_ cocky around her. "You and I could be grouped together." He winked, a sign that he was flirting. "We're a pretty good team, you and I." He heard Shikamaru scoff. His eyes snapped to the lazy boy and he let out a low growl. "You got something to say, _Nara_?"

The boy leaned on the desk. "Yeah, actually, I do." Amaya sighed. '_Oh no._'

"_**Well**_?" Kiba spat. The Nara boy smirked. "Amaya wouldn't want to be grouped with a cocky mutt like you. She'd be better off grouped with Choji and I." Kiba's eyes turned into slits; indicating he was pissed. "Yeah, like she'd want to be on a team with someone who's too smart for his own good and," His head cocked at the chubby boy next to him. "-some fat ass who can barely run a mile! Loose a few pounds why don't 'cha?" Choji's face twisted in anger. "You _**bastard**_!" He spat.

Shikamaru was about to blow up on the mutt, Amaya could sense that. She intervened before something bad happened. "Guys!" She harshly whispered. "Knock it off!" She turned to look at the boys behind her. "Choji, you're amazing the way you are. Don't listen to guys like Kiba." Her gazed switched to Shikamaru. "Shika? I know you want to defend your buddy but please don't start a scene on our Graduation day! Just calm down okay?" Hesitant at first, he nodded. Choji remained quiet, concerning Amaya. "Don't let it go to your head Cho. I like you the way you are." He smiled a bit at her words. "Thanks Amaya." She nodded.

Turning to the ass next to her, she snapped. "And _**you**_! Kiba! Why do you have to be such an ass to everybody?" His mouth opened but she stopped him. "No! I don't appreciate people who pick on others. Drop the asshole shenanigan and play nice or I'll disown you as a friend. You hear me?"

Kiba was honestly shocked to hear Amaya blow up at him like that. She was always the peaceful one in fights. Nodding quickly, he quietly apologized to the other two boys before turning back to the front. '_Damn it!_' He cursed. '_She hates my guts now._' He laid his head on the desktop. '_I __**am**__ an asshole._'

The rest of the lecture went on in a tension filled silence. Iruka had begun to call out the different groups; naming their team number and the kids who would be teammates for the next year or so. Amaya's attention was deeply drilled in her thoughts. She scanned every student in the class and picked out the kids she'd want to be grouped with. "Squad Seven: Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Haruno-," Amaya's ears perked up. Would she be teamed with her sister? "And Sasuke Uchiha." Sakura jumped from her seat and cheered. Amaya smiled. '_At least Sakura's happy with her team._'

Naruto sulked when the wrong Haruno was called. He'd badly want to be on Amaya's team. His gaze drifted to Sasuke. '_At least __**he**__ isn't grouped with her._' He perked at the thought. '_I still have a chance!_'

"Next, Squad eight: Hinata Hyuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame." Kiba's jaw dropped. He was hopping to be grouped with Amaya so he could make it up to her. Show her he wasn't so bad. '_Damn it!_' He sulked. '_I'll never get to impress her now._' He looked at the boy next to him, eyes half lidded. '_And I'm with bug boy. Great._'

"Lastly, squad ten." Iruka announced. "Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Choji Akimichi." Ino shrieked. "What? No! _I_ was supposed to be grouped with Sasuke!" She glared at her rival. "**Sakura!**" Said girl turned and stuck out her tongue in victory. "Hehe." The platinum blonde groaned, plopping back in her seat to steam in her loss.

With all the commotion, Naruto stood as well. "Iruka-Sensei. Why does a great ninja like _me_ have to be in the same group with a slug like Sasuke?" All the girls in the room glared daggers at the boy. How _dare_ he call him a slug? Iruka paid no mind to the tension. "Sasuke had the best scores of all the graduating students. Naruto, you had the worst scores." As everyone laughed at his misfortune, the blonde sulked in his embarrassment. Iruka wasn't done explaining though. "To create a balanced group we put the best student with the worst student."

Sasuke, slightly irritated, glanced at his new teammate. "Just make sure you don't get in my way, loser." Shocked, Naruto jumped out of his seat and glared. "What did you say!"

"Hard of hearing?"

Sakura pulled on Naruto's jacket. "Knock it off Naruto! Sit down!" She was disappointed she'd have to put up with this idiot. On the bright side, Sasuke was on her team! She would be spending a lot of time with him. Maybe he'll turn out to like her and they'd live happily every after! She sighed dreamily at the fantasy.

While all this was happening, Amaya was confused. She hadn't heard her name called. Maybe she missed it? Raising her hand she said, "Uhm. Iruka-sensei? What squad am I on?" The teacher look up at her quickly. "Oh. I hadn't called your name?" He shuffled through his papers and pulled out the list. His eyes skimmed the names but never saw Amaya's. '_Hm. That's strange._' The teacher filed through all the papers he was given by the Hokage. A folded note fell from the messy stack. He picked it up and read it over quickly. "Hmm. Amaya? It seems you're being assigned to a team that graduated a year ago."

The girl stared at him. "Seriously?" _**RIIING!**_ Everyone jumped out of their seats. Iruka smiled at the eager students. "Okay class, remember to come back after lunch to meet with your Jounin." Excited chatter filled the halls as everyone filed out of the class. Sasuke was quick to leave the classroom. Some girls followed after him to ask if he'd eat lunch with them. '_Maybe I should ask too._' Amaya thought. _'Yesterday was so nice.'_ She stood and intended to walk after him. An arm pulled her back when she reached the doorway. "Amaya! Come eat lunch with me!" Ino said. The Haruno smiled at her. "Actually Ino, I was going to-." She looked down the hall and saw Sasuke was nowhere to be seen. "Going to what?"

'_Where'd he go?'_ She continued to stare down the hall. Ino, worried, waved a hand in front of her face. "Uh, _hello_! Earth to Amaya!" Snapping out of her daze, she looked at the blonde. "Oh sorry." Ino placed her hands on her hips. "So what were you going to do?" Her friend stared at her, unemotional, before smiling. "Oh, nothing. Let's go!" Ino giggled and dragged her into town, Choji and Shikamaru following after them.

* * *

"That was so rude, but Kiba _does_ have a point." Ino said. "What would happen if you were to run from an enemy, Choji? Can't you at least workout and watch what you eat?" Amaya sighed at her friend's opinion. "Ino, be nice." The blonde crossed her arms. "I'm just saying!"

"I can still fight." Choji said, mouth full of food. "I'm not helpless, you know."

Ino shrugged. "Could have fooled me." Amaya's eyes snapped to Ino. "If you're going to be on the same team Ino, can't you be a little nicer to them?" Shikamaru chuckled from his position on the roof bench. "Yeah. Like that'll ever happen." The Yamanaka girl, cheeks puffed, glared at him. "Oh shut up Shikamaru!" She argued. He just waved her off.

A building over, Sasuke was enjoying the silence. It was relaxing when all the fan girls were off his back. Why did he have to be so popular? Biting into his rice ball, he pondered today's events. He shuddered when he remembered the kiss he and Naruto shared. He was pissed some kid in front of him was careless. He was even more angrier at Naruto for being so close to him. '_He's such a loser._'

"Oh shut up Shikamaru!"

The boy swerved around to look out the window he was leaning on. His eyes scanned below for Ino, one of his obsessed fan girls. Had she found him? Oh please no. The alley below was clear of people. He cocked a brow and continued his lunch. Before he could turn around and lean on the window seal once more, he spotted a blob of pink. His attention was glued to the girl he loved ever so much on the roof of the building next to his. "Amaya?" He muttered. He looked away quickly. She had spotted him. Knowing she was still watching he fought off the blush threatening to rise upon his cheeks.

She stared innocently down at him. A small smile on her face. "Amaya! Are you listening to me?" Her head snapped up. "Huh? Sorry!" Ino, hands on her hips, pouted. "I _said_: Have you noticed my new figure?" The blonde twirled. Amaya stared at her hips for a moment before shaking her head. "I don't see it." Shikamaru snorted a laugh. "Told you." Ino glared at him. "Shut up!"

"Hey. Is that Naruto?"

Everyone turned their attention to Choji. He pointed down and everyone looked over the railing. "Oh hey, it is." Amaya said. "What's he doing?" The four watched him sneak across the wall and advance on Sasuke. Ino growled. "If he touches one hair on _my_ Sasuke's head, I'll-!" At those words, Amaya felt a pang of jealousy. She clutched her chest for a moment. '_What the-?_' The feeling slowly went away. She stared at Ino with wide eyes before her gaze switched to Sasuke. '_What's going on?_'

She heard something slam and her attention snapped back into reality. "Huh?" The window Sasuke was just standing at was shut. She could faintly here a fight going on inside the room. Ino looked pissed. Shikamaru and Choji were amused. A few moments later Sasuke jumped out. He had on a smirk. He seemed off though. "Sasuke?" She mumbled. The academy warning bell sounded off and the four looked off in the distance.

"I guess we'd better get going." Shikamaru sighed. Everyone nodded.

Amaya took her own route back to the school. She needed some time to think. Why did she feel jealous towards Ino? It was only Sasuke. She considered the thought of loving him. A smile came to her lips and she shook her head, laughing quietly to herself. "It can't be." She spoke. "I hardly know much about him." She shoved the thought aside and pictured what her team would be like so Sasuke wouldn't wander back into her mind.

She was still unsure about the Hokage's decision. Couldn't they have just put her in another team? She knew three man squads were mandatory, but couldn't a four man squad be accepted? It seemed smarter that way. If her teammates were older they were sure to have more experience than she. She hoped they weren't going to look down on her just because she was fresh from the Academy.

"Amaya."

She stopped. Turning around, she smiled. "Oh. Sasuke." He walked up to her, hands stuffed in his pockets. "Hi." He nodded hello. The two walked together at a reasonable pace. "I saw you at lunch. You were in the building next to mine." She gave him a sideway glance. His face held an odd expression. Like he was uncomfortable. "You okay Sasuke?" He bit his lip and nodded. She eyed the boy for a moment before ignoring his odd behavior. "So how do you feel about being on Naruto's team?" She asked. "You two aren't the best of friends." She received no response. "Uh, Sas-."

"Yeah, Naruto! That loser." He groaned. The boy stopped suddenly and bent over, clutching his stomach. He groaned again. Amaya stopped and placed a hand on his back. "Sasuke! You don't look too good. Are you sure you're alright?" She gasped when he ran. "Sasuke!"

He looked over his shoulder, a panicked look on his face. "Sorry Amaya! I'll catch up with you later!"

The girl stood and stared after him. "Did . . . Did I say something?"


	5. Chapter 5

_**Hey guys. Sorry for the late update. I've been a little busy with school lately. Sophomore year isn't as easy as Freshman year. All my classes require me to pay much more attention, and I don't have much free time! And usually when I get home, I lay down for a few seconds and doze off. I'm hoping to finish editing the rest of the chapters before the end of October. Feel free to message me, telling me to hurry up. Eventually I'll get annoyed and finish them ... Or just ignore you. -stare- ... ANYWAY! Enjoy this next chapter!**_

_**Please Read and Review! I'd very much appriciate a Review.**_

_**Disclaimer: KawaiiShortcake does not own any of the Naruto characters in this series. Any character you are not familiar with belongs to KawaiiShortcake. Thank you!**_

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**x{ Meeting The Team }x**

After lunch, all the students reported back to the classroom. Happy chatter bounced off the walls. Everyone was excited to meet their sensei. A couple weren't happy about their teams and sulked at their desks. Amaya regrouped with the guys and hung out until it was time to leave. A couple hours went by and the group of students slowly shrunk. Only four were left: Sasuke, Naruto, Sakura, and Amaya.

Naruto was hovering near the door, constantly peeking outside to see if their sensei was coming. Sasuke was sitting in the front desk, eyes closed, and leaning back. Sakura sat next to him. Her eyes would drift off to the Uchiha boy and she'd giggle quietly. Amaya was seated on the desktop on the other side of Sasuke. Her eyes held an usual bored and dull look. The four had been sitting here an hour after the last group was collected. They were wondering if their teachers would ever come.

An aggravated sigh came from the blonde. "He's late." Three pairs of eyes looked at him. Amaya rolled hers. "We understand, Naruto." Said boy pulled his head back in the class and stared at her, eyes half lidded. Abandoning the door, he now stood in front of her. Their faces were inches apart. Amaya was unfazed though. "Yes Naruto?" He looked thoughtful for a moment. "Aren't you mad Amaya?" The girl lazily shrugged. "Honestly no. I may be a little irritated, but I'm not mad."

Sasuke watched the two with narrowed eyes. The idiot was a little too close for Sasuke's liking. He could see a faint blush on the blonde's cheeks and his jealousy increased. Naruto's face was unnoticeably inching closer. The Uchiha boy smirked at a thought and casually leaned back. His leg lifted from under the desk and lashed out at Naruto. _**SMACK!**_ The bottom of Sasuke's sandals connected with Naruto's face and roughly pushed him back. The raven haired boy gently placed his feet on the desktop and crossed them.

"_ARGH!_ Sasuke!" The other boy growled; rubbing the pink footprint left on his face. "What the hell was that for?" Sasuke looked up casually. "What do you mean, loser?" Naruto's face reddened. "You know what I mean!" Amaya held his shoulders firmly and pushed him back gently. "Naruto! It was just an accident. Sasuke didn't mean it."

Sakura frowned at him too. "Stop accusing Sasuke, Naruto! He didn't do anything!"

"Yes he did! He's smirking right now!" The blonde pointed accusingly at him. Dropping the smirk, Sasuke closed his eyes and rested his elbows on the back of the seat. Amaya turned to look at him. "No he's not." Turning back around, she frowned at the blonde. "Naruto, don't be so mean! He probably didn't mean it, right Sasuke."

Opening one eye, he nodded. "Yeah." Amaya smiled. "See?" Naruto's mouth opened to argue more, but Amaya's had stopped him. "No. No more Naruto." She huffed. "Just go be lookout again." His shoulders dropped. Amaya just refused to hear him and took Sasuke's side! Sending a nasty glare towards his rival, Naruto sulked back to the door and leaned depressingly against the wall. Sasuke smirked in his victory.

It was another half hour before Naruto spotted someone coming up the hall. "Hey!" Naruto alerted. "Someone's coming!" The other three grinned. Sakura sighed in relief. "Yes! Finally."

"How do you guys know it's for you?" Amaya questioned, smiling. "It could be my sensei." Naruto shook his head. "I didn't see anyone else. Your sensei would have brought your new teammates too." Amaya, hands now on hips, pouted. "How do you know they'd bring them? They could be taking a day off!" He opened his mouth to say something, when the door swung open.

Four pairs of eyes stared at the woman in the doorway. She was a beauty. Honey-Brown locks fell in thin, choppy layers to her shoulders. Her bangs split off from the left side of her face and was flipped to the other side of her head; framing her face nicely. A red rose sat on the left side of her head; pink, red, and black beads dangling from the flower charmingly. Her face was heart shaped, looking as delicate as a porcelain doll. Her eyes were a crimson color. Smokey eye shadow sat upon her eye lids, along with black eyeliner. Her lips were a vibrant ruby red. The corners of her mouth were curved in a small smile.

She wore a red kimono. Thin dark branches lined the sleeves and body; pink Sakura petals were either attached to the branch or in a random spot- as if falling off and floating to the ground. A black, silky, obi was tied over her stomach and ended with a neat bow behind her. The sleeves were long and flowing; her hands were barely seen. The end of the kimono had ended at her mid-thigh. Her feet were connected to cork sandals; black silk ribbon twirled up her legs and ending with a small bow inches before her knees.

The woman scanned the four kids before clapping her hands and smiling widely. "Okay! I'm here for Amaya Haruno." Her eyes landed on the twins. "I'm guessing that's one of you two."

Amaya and Sakura, both jaws dropped, looked at each other in their peripheral vision. The woman giggled. "Well come on! I won't bite." Her expression switched to malicious. "Much." Amaya gulped and took a step forward. "I guess-." She pushed Sakura forward. "You have to go Amaya!" She laughed nervously. Sakura squealed and slapped her sister's shoulder. "What? Amaya!" The woman laughed now. She gave a dismissal wave of her hand. "I'm just kidding! I'm harmless." Rubbing her throbbing shoulder and grumbling, the real Amaya stepped forward. "Alright, alright."

"Come on then! The guys were looking forward all week to meeting you." She grabbed Amaya's hand and tugged her out of class. Amaya looked back to the trio and waved. "See you later!"

"Bye Amaya!"

The woman let go of Amaya once halfway down the hall. The younger girl felt a little awkward the other woman knew her name but Amaya didn't know hers. When they turned the corner, the woman looked down at her. "I'm Jin Maeko by the way. Hope you won't mind me being your sensei." Amaya smiled at her. "Oh no. It's fine Jin-sensei!" The woman stopped and gave her a weird look. "Okay, yeah. Just call me Jin, 'kay?" Amaya nodded hesitantly. "Okay?"

Jin smiled, continuing their walk to the front of the school. "It just sounds weird being called 'sensei.'" Amaya nodded understandingly. When they reached the front doors, Jin pushed them open. Amaya was temporarily blinded by the light. She held her hand over her eyes and tried to look out behind the doors. Once her sight came back, she got a good look at her teammates. A blush rose to her cheeks. _'Wow. I'm teamed with those guys?'_ A giddy feeling rose in the pit of her stomach and she smiled.

"Hey boys!" Jin greeted. "Meet your new teammate: Amaya Haruno!" The older woman gestured her arms out to the girl. Fighting back all nervousness, Amaya gave a short wave to them. "Hi!" The two boys stared at her. Keeping up a smile, she waited for one of them to speak. The corner of her lips turned down. Were they not pleased to meet her? Maybe it was because she was inexperienced. "Uhm … I know I'm fresh from the Academy, but I'll work twice as hard to keep up with you!" Jin smiled at her newest student. The two boys looked at each other; sharing a conversation using only their eyes. Smirking, they stepped forward and circled the girl. She stood still and watched them curiously. What were they doing?

A chuckle left one of their throats. "Well she's cute." Amaya's blush increased. Cute? One of her teammates thought she was cute? "Yeah man. She's an eye catcher." The compliments created a small smile on her lips. At least they liked her! Jin let out a chiming laugh and wrapped her arms around the boys's shoulders. "Now now. Don't scare her away." The woman winked at her teasingly. Amaya laughed. "It's okay. Better they think I'm 'cute' than a dead weight." The boy with bright orange hair patted her shoulder. "Positive thinking. I like it!"

"Alright kiddies, time for a scenery change!" _**POOF!**_ In the blink of an eye, the four of them had changed locations. No longer were they in front of the Academy, but they were on top of a rooftop somewhere in the middle of town. Amaya looked over the edge and stared at the small people walking along the streets. "Whoa!" She breathed. "That was a cool jutsu!" Jin preformed a mock-bow. "Why thank you, little lady!"

"Urgh." One of the boys groaned. "Don't tell me we're going to do introductions!" Jin smirked at him. "Of course, little Kenji! We have a new member!" She pulled Amaya forward. "And she needs to get to know you two before we start any missions or training." 'Kenji' groaned again. "Fiiine." The boy with orange hair pushed past him. "I'll go first!"

"Hey! The name's Ichigo Suzaki." He grinned. "I'm currently fifteen years old and I love to listen to music. I'm more interested in hanging out with peeps than training, but it's part of my life, so I put up with it." The boy shrugged, taking a pause, before continuing. "My dislikes? Eh. I can't think of any right now."

"Good, Ichigo." Jin said. "You're next Kenji." Ichigo jacked Kenji's spot without a word. The other boy sent him a warning glance before smiling at me. "Yo. I'm Kenji Hatake. Currently fifteen, like carrot top over here," He jerked a finger towards his buddy; earning a disapproving stare from _'carrot top.'_ "I like to train, but hanging with friends is cool too. I may seem serious most the time, but I'm pretty humorous too. So don't think I don't care." Amaya nodded. "I don't like to be compared to my older brother, or bein' showed up. Other than that, I'm a pretty cool guy." Ichigo scoffed and jumped up next to Kenji. "Cool isn't the word I would use to describe you, bro." The other rolled his eyes. "You're just jealous I can beat you in a fight, _Suzaki_."

"Oh please, _Hatake_." Ichigo drawled. "I can take you on any day." The two lunged forward and glared at each other heatedly. Kenji growled and shouted, "YOU WANA GO?" Jin pushed me aside lightly and jumped at the two. "Girls, girls!" She said soothingly. "You're both pretty. Now calm down." The two boys stared at her with an annoyed expression. Jin turned and clapped her hands, smiling happily. "Amaya's turn!"

The girl smiled shyly and stood in front of the group. "Hi. I'm Amaya Haruno. I'm actually fourteen and a half years ol-." Kenji cocked a brow. "Fourteen and a half? Don't you just mean fourteen?" Narrowed emerald green eyes bored into his smoky grey ones. "There's a difference!" Ichigo and Kenji shared a look before smirking. "Alright then." Amaya huffed at the interruption. "I love to be with my friends. Training is something I like too, but I'm more interested in the medical department. I'm currently learning at the hospital."

"Awe, cool! So you're a medical ninja?" Ichigo questioned. She shook her head. "Not yet, but I'm hoping one day I will! I'm just a beginner right now." Ichigo shrugged. He still thought it was cool. "I don't have many dislikes, but I guess being mistaken for my sister, Sakura, is one. Sexist people also aggravate me." Jin nodded, her lips in a firm line. "That also pisses me off! Why do men have to be so sexist towards us woman!" She jumped forward and got a firm grip on the girl's shoulders. "Us girls have to stick together!" The three students sweat dropped.

"Alright Jin." Kenji said. "We introduced ourselves. You have to do it too." Said woman groaned. "But I hate introductions!" Tick marks appeared on the boys's heads. "**Then why are we doing them?**" Jin waved off the boys and turned to her only female student. "As I told you, my name's Jin Maeko. Even though I hate announcing it, I am twenty four years old. I love to do almost anything, but I dislike having to laze around like a bum."

After the introductions, Amaya was happy with her team. They weren't stuck up just because they were older and more experienced. They were actually pretty cool, in Amaya's opinion. Jin looked up at the sky. "Oh wow. It's pretty late already." She turned to her students, hands on hips. "You guys feel free to hang about. I have some reports to file before tomorrow morning. Ichigo, Kenji, Make her feel welcome." The two boys nodded. "Alright then. Bye!" She gave one simple wave and then was gone in a white puff of smoke. The three stared at the spot for a moment before looking at each other.

"Sooo~," Ichigo drawled. "You guys wana get some dango?" Kenji raised his hand immediately. "I'm in! I could go for some late lunch." Amaya nodded. "Sure! It'll give me a chance to get to know you guys more!" The group left the building top and walked together to a small dango shop nearby. For the rest of the evening they joked around. Amaya already felt comfortable with them. They weren't discouraged about her either. They seemed to really enjoy her company! After a couple of hours of fooling around and talking, the three bid their goodbyes and parted ways. Amaya went straight home to meet up with her sister. Hopefully she was home.

Stepping inside, Amaya spotted her sister lounging on the couch with one of her romance novels. Sakura had looked up when the door opened. Smiling, she said, "Amaya! How was your day?" The older girl waltzed in and plopped herself on the other couch, laying down immediately. "It was pretty exciting! My team is awesome." Amaya replied. "My sensei is really cool too!" Sakura pouted, emitting a whine. "My sensei is weird! And Naruto is so _annoying_." Amaya giggled. "Just give him a chance. I bet one day he'll impress you." Her sister scoffed. "As if. Sasuke's more impressing than that dweeb. He's way cooler too!" Amaya rolled her eyes. "Okay. Whatever you say, Sakura."

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**_Thank you for reading! Please Review! I don't care if it's to critique my work. I just want some more Reviews. :)_**


	6. Chapter 6

_**Guten Tag! I'm sorry it's been forever since I've last posted. School has been hectic for me! I hate High School! Whoever says they're excited to become a highschooler . . . . Don't be. It plain out sucks.**_

_**Anyway: Yeah, so I'm so very sorry! I had it all written but I wanted to finish writing the mission they were going to go on, but I got so aggravated with it because it wasn't turning out how I wanted it too! So I just dumped it and decided I'll just make some filler. Only a few chapters at the most. Fillers sometimes suck . . . Depends how you write them though.**_

_**So make sure you remember there's NOT going to be a mission for Team 9 . . . Just some filler.**_

_**Danke Shön!**_

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**||~Missions~||**

Today, instead of being woken up by someone else, I got up by myself. No alarm clocks, no sister, no parents, no sunshine. Sluggishly, I got ready for the day and sat at the kitchen table. I was waiting for my mom to walk in and make breakfast. Sure I woke up earlier _and_ got ready, but having to make my own breakfast? That's insanity!

As if on cue, my mom rushed in the kitchen. "Morning dear. I'm running a bit late. You're going to have to pick up some breakfast this morning."

I groaned. "But mooom~ you make the best breakfast _ever_!"

"Sorry Amaya! I'll see you tonight." She placed a kiss on my cheek and rushed out the door.

I sat at the table for a few minutes, unsure of what to do. Sakura slugged into the kitchen with her shoulder bag. Her sleepy expression made me smile. She sat down across from me and dropped her bag next to her. Her hands picked up invisible chopsticks and an invisible rice bowl. She quietly ate air and I was trying my best not to laugh. A frown appeared on her face.

"What the-?" Her eyes shot open. "Where's breakfast?"

I laughed. "Mom left for work. Breakfast pickup today."

Silence. Her whiney groan let loose. "Oh, I forgot. Sensei said not to eat breakfast…Guess it works out then."

"Said not to eat breakfast? What psycho says that!"

She got up and grabbed her bag. "Apparently Kakashi-sensei. Well, I gotta go. See you-!"

"Later!" I finished. More silence… "Dad?" …No response. "Dad!" …Still no answer. Realization: "He's on a week long mission . . . Which started yesterday." Great.

* * *

About breakfast . . . . Yeah, I had to steal money from my parent's "Rainy Day" fund hidden behind one of the pictures in their bedroom. They're not guna be very happy when they find out. I'll just blame it on Sakura! Anyway, I had to eat ramen; even though I'm not fond of it. It was silent for me all morning and it killed me. I'm used to having someone talk to me _every_ morning! I guess that's going to change since graduation.

I arrived at our designated training ground ten minutes early. Usually somebody tends to come early right? I've been here for twenty minutes and no one has shown up yet! "Is this the wrong training ground?" I pondered.

I heard something move directly behind me. "Nope! This is the right one!"

Whoever it was, was standing a little too close. I remembered all the news articles about girls getting kidnapped and raped so . . . I panicked. A short ear-splitting scream escaped my throat and I swirled around. As hard as I could, I elbowed the guy's chest. When he doubled over I took advantage and delivered a sharp heel-kick to his back. I let out a panicky breath and took a defensive position.

I almost fainted when I saw who it was. "Sensei!"

I got a groan in response. _'Crap! Crap! Crap! Cr-!'_ I repeated inwardly. The boys arrived soon after.

"Hey! Sorry we're late."

"Yeah, we were-." Ichigo paused. "What the hell!"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" I apologized. "I didn't know it was you sensei!"

He raised a hand as if to say _"It's alright. Don't worry about it."_ but he was in the fetal position! I looked at the boys. They were . . . . Laughing?

"Damn sensei!" Ichigo said through his laughter. "She got you good!"

Kenji smirked through his. "Guess we know who's boss!"

"Go Amaya!" They chanted.

My face was as red as a tomato. We had to wait for Daisuke-sensei to recover before we began our missions. He had the boys explain to me that only three teams out of all the graduating students were to pass and become genin. The rest were sent back to the academy and could try again the following year. I panicked -it seems I always resort to that- so they had to tell me since they passed last year, I was automatically passed. I felt so lucky I wouldn't have to go through that hell hole again!

"Now,-" Sensei began. "Who's ready for missions?"

…A cricket chirped. "Anybody?"

**||~Baby Sitting!~||**

"I wana go home." Ichigo complained -for the millionth time, might I add.

I thwacked him with the broom I was holding. "Just shut up and burp that baby."

With a sigh, Ichigo patted the girl's back and she spit up all over his shoulder. "Awe come on!"

Sensei couldn't control his laughter. While we were doing these "missions", Daisuke-sensei was sitting back and enjoying our misery. Not once has he offered help! He just keeps sitting on his arse and smiling.

Kenji threw a toy at him. "Shut up, old man! Why don't you come help us?"

"Tsk. Tsk. These are your missions. Not mine. If I helped, then you wouldn't learn anything."

"What are we guna learn!" Ichigo shouted. "How to get a baby to puke all over you! Yeah, that's real useful!"

I threw my arms in the air. "And how is this considered a mission!"

The baby began to wail, upset with all the shouting. I sighed and snatched her from Ichigo's arms. "Give me the baby! You go clean up the kitchen."

He walked out of the room muttering things I could care less about. Kenji came out of one of the bedrooms, looking exhausted. "I finally got the twins to sleep."

A shattering sound came from the kitchen and echoed throughout the house. Ichigo's cursing was heard, and then- "Just for the record, I didn't do that!" _'Of course Ichigo. Of course.'_

Two little boys came running out of the room Kenji was just in and tackled the poor teen to the ground. They started to pull his hair, kick his sides, and spit on him. After a short beat up, they drag him back into their bedroom. Kenji began to claw at the floor and cried out for help. There was another silence before, "I _hate_ babysitting!" So do I Kenji. So do I.

**||~Picking Weeds!~||**

We've been sitting in this backyard for a few hours now. Since the lady was old, I offered to harvest her vegetables and fruits. Her land was three times as big as a normal house plot; but she lived on the outskirts of Konoha so it made sense. Kenji and Ichigo were picking weeds from the flower garden. Halfway through my harvesting, I looked over to see how the boys were doing.

I noticed something on Ichigo's back. "Uhm . . . Ichigo?"

"Not now Amaya."

My jaw dropped when I noticed it was a _huge_ spider. "But Ichigo-."

"I'm busy!" The thing crawled slowly up his back and sat on the back of his neck.

A chill went up my spine at the thought of it crawling on me. "But you-!"

He turned around and his eyes were pleading. "I have a massive migraine from babysitting! So can you please, please, not talk to me?" Rude much…?

Kenji finally noticed what I was talking about and jumped away. "Whoa! Dude-You got this ginormous spider on your head!"

"Wha-?" Ichigo's eyes looked up. "Oh holy mother of-! Get it off! Get it off!"

In a panicked state of mind, Ichigo shot up and began to run around the yard. He shook his head aggressively but the bug wouldn't come off. Kenji and I didn't know what to do but keep away from him. We didn't want that _thing_ to touch us! Who knows if it's poisonous or not!

"Aaahh! Get away from me!" I screamed, hiding behind Kenji.

"Help me!" Ichigo shrieked, freaked out of his mind.

"Kenji! Do something!" The boy just stood there, unsure of what to do.

A thought came by and he picked up a rock. He stared at it for a second before chucking it at the panicking boy.

The spider jumped off Ichigo's head just in time for the rock to slam into carrot top's head. Ichigo stumbled everywhere and tripped backwards, crashing into a tree. A beehive fell off the highest branch and landed in his lap. Everyone just stared at it before a yellow wave of bees swarmed out of the hive and came after us.

"Aaah~" I shrieked. "Run!"

Kenji picked me up -bridal style- and carried me into the house. He slammed the door shut and we watched as Ichigo ran after us. He didn't know the door was closed so he ran strait into the glass and knocked himself out. Sensei appeared behind him with a hose and sprayed all the bees away. The little bastards died and fell around the unconscious teen. Daisuke-sensei washed them all away and went back to his lawn chair. Good for nuthin' sensei!

* * *

Late that afternoon, we finished our "mission" list. We headed back to the building missions were given _**{Does anyone know what that building is called?}**_ to hand back the list. Apparently, the place was right next to the Hokage's building. We walked in and I looked at all the doors in that one hallway. The room we report to was at the very end of the hall. I grinned when I saw Sakura and her team heading our way.

She smiled when she saw me. "Amaya!"

"Sakura!" I caught her as she tackled me in a hug. I looked at Sasuke and Naruto and waved.

"Hey guys."

Naruto jumped up and tackled me in a hug too. "Amaya! You passed too!"

Sasuke grabbed the back of his jacket and pulled him off me. He pushed Naruto behind him and took a step closer to me. He gave the blonde a glare and Naruto glared back- even though he was probably confused. I was confused myself. Why was he being so protective? Anyway:

"Well~ These guys had already passed last year. So since I'm apart of their team, I automatically pass."

"That's not fair. You didn't have to do the bell test!" Naruto whined.

I was confused. "Bell test?"

"Never mind that!" Sakura pulled me close and whispered- "Did you guys get assigned lame missions too?"

"Did we!" I screamed. I blushed when the guys looked at us. I lowered my voice. "Yeah. Our sensei didn't even help!"

"Mine was lazy too. I thought being a ninja was supposed to be exciting."

I shrugged. "I just hope it gets better." She nodded.

"Hey!" Naruto shouted. "What are you two whispering about?"

A vein appeared on my head. "Butt out, will ya'?"

"Yeah Naruto! It's none of your business." Sakura added.

"Well you don't have to yell!" Was his response. Us girls glared at him.

I finally noticed the old man hanging in the back of the group. Right as I stared at him, a wave of alcohol drifted into my nose. I held my hands over it and breathed through my mouth. This guy _reeked_ of sake! Gawd! The smell was so strong, I thought I would get drunk just _breathing_ it!

"My nose burns." I mumbled.

"I know. He reeks of alcohol." Sakura said to me.

"Did he _bathe_ in it!"

The others engaged themselves in another conversation as Sakura and I whispered to each other. "Who's the old geezer?"

The man narrowed his eyes at Kenji. "Old geezer!"

"Kenji." Sakura's sensei warned.

Kenji took a defensive look. "What? I was just curious!"

The other sensei narrowed his eyes for a moment before looking like he was smiling. I couldn't tell because he had a mask covering his nose and mouth.

"Oh him?" Naruto said, nonchalantly. "We gotta escort this drunkard- Owe!"

Sasuke had punched the doofus's head. "You idiot. Be a little considerate."

I smiled a little and decided to tease him. "Yeah Naruto. Insulting the client can result in a failed mission." I could see Sasuke's mouth twitch in a smirk.

"We're supposed to escort Mr. Tazuna back to his village so he can finish building a bridge." Sasuke explained instead.

_**{I really don't want to have to look up his name. He's not even that important!}**_

"Oh. Sounds interesting." I said.

Their sensei placed a hand on the boys' shoulders. "Alright then. I'd love to continue this little chat, but we're on a tight schedule. It was nice to meet you Team Nine. Well, goodbye!"

As they walked away, I waved to my sister. "Have fun! Try not to get killed!"

"Shut up!" She said, annoyed. "Tell mom I wont be home for a few days!"

"Will do." I continued to wave until they were out of sight.

"So that was your sister?" Ichigo bluntly asked.

I frowned. "No. That was my aunt Petunia!"

"Don't get sarcastic with me!" He mock-warned.

"Alright kiddies. No more foolin' around. Time to finish up here." Sensei said.

We continued into he mission room and stood in a line in front of the Hokage. Daisuke-sensei told us we'd have to be on our best behavior for him, since he's our village leader and all. I didn't have a problem with it. I show great respect for our elders; especially if they're the Hokage.

Once we turned in the completed list and our earnings, Ichigo asked for another mission. Kenji added that it should be something better than silly chores. We were told that nothing better than D-Ranks were available. I was so disappointed! Sakura and her team got the last mission. Man, I would kill to escort someone back home!

When we left the building it was late afternoon. Sensei ran off, which left me with the boys. We sat around the park and talked. Nothing interesting. Ichigo said he had to go home to baby-sit Kyou. Once he left, an awkward silence fell over me and Kenji. His cheeks held a light pink tinge and he was avoiding looking at me.

I sighed. "I guess I'll just go." I got up to leave. Kenji's hand snatched my wrist and he looked at me, curious. "Where are you guna go?" I thought about it. Maybe I could stop by the hospital and see if they need some extra help; even if I'm a trainee. "I'm guna visit my mom at the Hospital. You wana come?"

His eyes widened. "You're moms in the hospital!"

I laughed at this. "No silly! She works there. Remember?"

He laughed nervously. "Oh. Right. . . . Can I come too?"

"Sure. You'll have to keep out of the way though. It's no fun and games in a Hospital." He nodded in agreement and we set off.

* * *

**_Once again, Danke Schön! I really hope this series is a hit. I know it won't be the best out there -Because I've read some really good stories. And not just Sasuke stories!- So please review and add me to your subscription lists! You don't even have to be a member to review! You can be an outsider! (I'm pretty sure you can at least. It seems like that when I write reviews to people...)_**


	7. Status Update: Numero Uno

_Dear Beloved Readers_,

I'm _really sorry_ I haven't updated in a while. I've been recently caught up in school and there hasn't been enough time to write anything . . . Okay, that's a complete lie! I've had plenty of time. I've just been super lazy and haven't thought of anything to use for new chapters. Annnd: I've been absorbed in thinking about a Fruits Basket love story I might write after this. ;D

**BUT!** A few nights ago, I was lying in bed -_listening to music, starring intently at the ceiling, and thinking pretty hard_- when I came up with some stuff. The material I thought of was for 'later on' in the series, so I'll still need time to think of the 'now' stuff.

I do know how I want this series to end though. Don't fret my -_odd_- Sasuke lovers and or fans! For I will still write this series until it ends. Just give me a few more weeks to get caught up. I go by the anime, so I have to watch _every_ episode all over again; **plus**, I have to write down everything everyone says and does, so that makes it worse and takes up some time.

Again! Do not lose faith in me. I will not let you guys/fans down! _*Que determined face, starry background, and inspirational music*_ I have worked hard and have put too much time into my writing to quit now! I. Will. Not. Quite! . . . . No really, please don't forget about this series.

_Love, KawaiiShortcake_

_**Ps. If there's chapters made after this, you could have just skipped this episode and moved on. Haha! I wasted your time, losers. xD**_

_**Pss. I still don't understand why many girls are in love with the young Uchiha. He's nothing special . . .**_


	8. Chapter 7

**||~A Day Together~||**

On the way, we joked around. Occasionally we would shove each other playfully. I thought it was cute how he would pout and stick out his tongue when I "upset" him. We were a couple blocks away from the hospital when Kenji walked up to a sweets stand and paid for a couple orders of dango. Mmm, that dango looked really good. He offered me some, but I turned it away. My stomach growled; not helping my case. "Not hungry, huh?" He teased.

A blush flowed across my cheeks. "Okay fine! Just a couple pieces." He held out the takeout bag and I took a stick, biting off the first piece. "Thanks." I mumbled. He stopped chewing and looked at me before smiling. "No problem."

We sat down on a nearby bench and talked as we finished our late lunch. Random topics were brought up. It seemed none of us knew what to talk about. We winded up watching other people as they went by and quietly made fun of them; like fat, facial hair, funny eyes, etc. Soon, the last stick of dango was left.

I offered it to him, but he said I could have it. It didn't feel right to eat the last piece when he paid for it. So I wouldn't feel guilty, I said we should share it. He agreed. I was to eat the first piece. When I was going to bite it off, Kenji popped up and stole my piece. I blushed at how close is face was to mine.

We stared into each other's eyes, and I noticed he was leaning closer. I was freaking out! I'd never kissed a boy before, so I didn't know what to do! I gulped as he leaned in so close, I could feel his breathe on my lips. My eyes clenched close. _'You can do this! 'I_ self encouraged. Pushing my nervousness to the side, I leaned in all the way and kissed _him_!

I heard growling before I felt Kenji break the kiss. I turned the other way; not letting him see me blush. I held my fisted hands in my lap and my shoulders were up high. My eyes were wide and my lips formed an embarrassed thin line. _'Oh my gawd!'_ I thought. _'I just had my first kiss!'_

"Hey! Get off me!" I heard Kenji shout. "What the hell!"

I looked over my shoulder to see Kiba's dog all over Kenji; biting him. I frowned. I held two fingers up and brought them to my lips; letting out an impressive whistle. Akamaru looked up and over at me. I patted my lap and he jumped over; yipping happily.

"Akamaru!" I scolded. "Bad boy! We don't attack people." He gave a small whimper; crouching down and letting his ear go flat against his head.

"Who's dog is that?' Kenji questioned; keeping his distance. I sighed. "A friend of mine. Why would he let him run around though?"

"Akamaru!" The dog's head perked up. I knew that gruff voice anywhere.

Kiba rounded the corner and spotted us; rushing over quickly. "There you are! Why'd you run off, buddy?" He tried to pick up Akamaru, but the dog bit his hand. "Yee-ow!"

I giggled. "Awe! Look Kiba. He wants to stay with me." I said in a baby voice; cuddling Akamaru. A yip in response. Kiba took on an aggravated look. "What are you saying boy? You prefer her over me!"

I giggled at the look Kenji was giving Kiba. I guess he's not used to people talking to their dog. Akamaru barked a response and pointed his snout at Kenji. Kiba looked over and got a jealous look on his face. "Who the hell are you?"

Kenji got up; towering over the dog boy by three inches. "I could ask you the same question."

Kiba ignored the silver haired boy, and turned to me. "Amaya! Who's this?" His tone did not sound happy; that's for sure. My eyes narrowed at his demanding implement. I did not like to be ordered around; especially from this insensitive jerk! I brushed off imaginary dust particles and dog fur off my lap and slowly stood up.

"Kiba, this is Kenji. Kenji, Kiba." I introduced. The two stared intently at each other. I looked between the two. I never understood why boys could just instantly hate each other. Girls, I got; because we take one look at the other and we'll think _'What a bimbo.'_ Or _'She's a slut.'_ And sometimes we'll think _'Urgh. Another whore.'_ And we'll dislike each other. Guys; they just take one look at the other and they're at the each other's throats with threats, insults, and anything that comes to mind!

I took a step between them. "What's with the looks guys?"

"Kiba! There you are!" I heard a gentle voice call out. I turned to see Hinata and Shino approaching.

I greeted them with a warm smile. "Hey you guys!"

"Amaya!" She bowed. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just eating a late lunch with Kenji. What are you guys doing here?"

Shino turned his head in Kiba's direction. "Inuzuka couldn't keep his mutt on his leash and he got away. I can see he only ran to your scent." Kiba blew up at that insulted explanation. "What did you say! Akamaru is not some mutt!"

Those two got into their own heated argument while Hinata, Kenji, and I kept out of it. The very shy girl looked towards my teammate and bowed nervously. "H-hello. My n-name is Hinata. It's nice to m-meet you."

Kenji stared at her for a few minutes before giving a goofy grin. "Hey! Pleasures all mine. The names Kenji."

"A-are you Amaya's teammate?" She asked quietly. Kenji nodded. "Yep. You a friend of Amaya's?" Hinata lifted her hands and twiddled her fingers. She gave a small nod and looked away shyly. Kenji quirked a brow. I pulled him down to my level and whispered. "She's naturally shy." He 'oh'd.'

It was silent for a moment between the three of us, prior to Kiba's constant yelling. It seemed Hinata remembered something when her head snapped in my direction. She held a sweet smile and asked, "W-would you two like to j-join us for s-some sushi?"

A pout formed on my lips. "Sorry Hinata. We just ate." I said. She looked down sadly, and I felt bad. A thought popped in my mind. "I promised I'd eat lunch with you a few days ago, didn't I?" I said ashamed. She gave a timid nod and my shoulders sank. I totally forgot about her! I feel horrible.

"I'm really sorry Hinata!" I apologized. "I didn't meant to forget." She shook her head. "N-no! It's alright. M-maybe next time?" I thought it over for a minute before snapping my fingers. "How about tomorrow? We can snack at that cute little desert place a couple blocks from here." A sky, cheery grin spread on her face. "O-okay!"

I giggled at her happiness. I looked over at Kiba and Shino and saw they still haven't settled their dispute. Kenji and I waved goodbye to Hinata -wishing her luck, since she'll be putting up with those two for a long while- and headed to the hospital.

"You have some interesting friends." Kenji spoke; eyes closed with his hands behind his head. I have a small giggle.

"Yep. Their something alright."

I got a small not in response. We walked passed a few houses before Kenji spoke again. "I don't like that Kiba character." I gave him a side look of curiosity. "Hm?"

"He's too much of a hot head." Kenji explained. "He seemed jealous too." A tiny blush rose up to my cheeks, but I smiled anyway; not bothering to hide it.

"Yeah. Kiba has a small crush on me. If I hang out with any guy, even if I'm with another girl, he get's pissed and makes a big scene about it." Kenji gave a boastful laugh.

When we arrived at the hospital, I walked up to the front desk and waited patiently for someone to come assist me. A young nurse, one who I recognized as a new trainee, came up and smiled sweetly.

"Hello. How may I help you?" She asked kindly.

"Oh, uhm, is Kohana Haruno here?"

She gave me a curious look before heading into the small office behind the counter. She came back a few minutes later and said she wasn't here. I thanked her anyway and sat down on a nearby waiting bench. Kenji took a seat next to me.

"So now what?" He asked. I shrugged. Honestly, I didn't think mom would get off early. Plus, after our kiss, I'm not sure I feel the same being alone with Kenji. I saw a familiar person walk by and I jumped up to hug them.

"Jin!" I squealed.

The woman jumped in shock. "Who the-! Amaya! Don't you know not to scare somebody?" I gave a small giggle.

"Sorry about that."

She held her hands on her hips and smiled. "So what brings you here today? Oh! If you're looking for your mom, you just missed her. She left a half hour ago.

I tapped my noggin a few times. "Already knew."

"Then what are you still doing here?" She teased.

"Is there anything Kenji and I can do to help?"

She looked at the boy, still sitting, behind me and smiled at him. She looked back at me and I noticed the sly look on her face. What was with that look? "I'm afraid there's nothing today. It's been so calm, and nothing's gone wrong." My shoulders sank in disappointment. "Come by tomorrow and we'll see what there is you can help with. You still need to continue with your training, you know."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course. I'll come by every now and then when I have time off."

She nodded in approvement and said goodbye to the both of us, leaving to attend another patient. Kenji and I decided it was time to hightail it out of there. Kenji offered to walk me home since it was getting late. The two of us walked in silence; the beautiful sunset cascading down on us.

He followed by me on the way to my house. When we got a few houses down, I was panicking. A part of me was fantasizing him kissing me again while the other part said it was wrong. I ignored both thoughts and kept my cool all the way to the small gate. We stood there for a small amount of time before I faced him with a smile.

"I had a great time today." I said. A blush quickly spread across my cheeks when I realized I made it sound like we had a date. "I-I mean, thanks for the dango. It was really good!"

A low chuckle emitted from his throat. "Like I said before: No problem." He looked away and I swear his cheeks were pink, but I think the sunset was playing tricks with it's warm colors. "I had a great time too."

His hand reached out and cupped my cheek. I watched breathlessly as he leaned down and pressed his lips against mine. I swear if I wasn't holding onto the gate, I would have melted. I closed my eyes and kissed back. When I did, a tiny voice cut through my mind.

'_Stop! Don't do that!'_ It pleaded. _'You're not meant for him. You're in love with somebody else!'_ My eyes snapped open. In love with somebody else! What the hell? Kenji pulled away and gave another goofy smile.

"Well, uhm . . . Goodnight." He chuckled nervously. I smiled sweetly. "Goodnight, Kenji." I watched him turn to leave before heading to the front porch. I looked back for a quick moment and saw Kenji almost trip. I held in a laugh and walked inside the house.


	9. Chapter 8

_Guten tag! Sorry I haven't gotten out any chapters lately. I just haven't had any inspiration. I couldn't continue writing this when my mind is blank. It'd be terrible._

_**WARNING:**__ I __**SUCK**__ at writing and or describing fighting scenes._

_. . . Actually, I don't think it matters with this story. It's a __love__ story for Pete's sake! I can get away with anything! :D_

**_BTW:_**_ I changed the story summary. If you review, please tell me if it's good. I hate coming up with sumaries..._

_Anyway: Enjoy!_

* * *

**||~Training~||**

My spring-green eyes quickly gazed over the words in a study scroll I was given recently. It was a medical scroll with a list of many common diseases in Konoha and how to cure them. I woke up early again and decided I should study; feeling like I've been neglecting my education. It's been a couple days since Kenji and I kissed. Sensei signed us up for more D-rank missions, which was the only time I ever saw him. I would look at him every now and then, but otherwise we acted like nothing ever happened.

"Amaya!" My mom called out. "What are you doing?" I noted the disappointment in her voice. _What did I do?'_ When I looked up, emerald green eyes met my own. She frowned at me from the kitchen doorway, arms crossed.

"I'm studying." I said nonchalantly.

She sighed. "I know that. But why aren't you out with your friends?" Honestly, I'd rather be out with everyone; doing something other than studying. Ever since I was little, I'd always wanted to be a medical ninja. I was shocked to know I had to learn quite a bit before I could be one. I began studying. I read anything that was about medical procedures, cures, diseases, etc. I was ahead of the game.

I shrugged. "I don't think anyone's available. Ino has to help her mom with the flower shop. She's too busy."

"Well…Don't you have any other friends?" She asked.

My eyes widened. "MOM!"

"I'm sorry, honey!" She apologized. "…Don't you have any boy friends? Ask one of them out."

"MOM!" I groaned again. I imagined me asking out Kiba and shuddered. Hell no.

"Don't you have a boyfriend?" She pressed shamelessly. "What about that young boy you kissed the other day?"

"You _spied_ on me!" I asked, exasperated.

"No!" She said. "…I just so happened to be peeking out the window and saw you two."

I was about to disagree with her when a knock interrupted our argument. The two of us looked at the door, unsure if we actually heard something. A couple more knocks erupted through the living room. I looked at my mom and she made an ushering movement; telling me to answer it. I sighed and got up off the ground. Standing on my tiptoes I tried to look through the peephole. I silently screamed when I saw Kenji.

"What the hell is _he_ doing here?" I whispered to myself.

"Honey, who is it?" My mom asked curiously.

"It's Kenji!" I panicked. "What do I do!"

_Knock! Knock! Knock!_

"Oh! You mean that boy you were kissing yesterday?" My mom questioned excitedly.

"Mom. Now's not the time." I quickly ducked into the kitchen. "Don't answer the door!"

More powerful knocks came from the door. "Hello? Anybody home?" In a heartbeat my mom was at the door. I screamed silently at her stupidity. Didn't I just tell her _not_ to open the door!

"Why hello there!" She greeted a little too happily. "What can I do for you?"

"Uhm. Hi." Kenji said. "I'm here for Amaya. Is she here?"

"Of course. Come in! Come in!" I could practically feel the giddiness radiating off my mom. "Amaya! Someone's here to see you!"

I banged my head against the wall a couple times. My mom was so embarrassing. I took in a deep breathe and stepped out from behind the wall; smiling like I wasn't just hiding. "Hey Kenji!"

He gave a smile and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Hey."

My mom looked between us before clapping her hands. "Alrighty then! I'll just leave you two kids alone." Letting out a peppy hum, she walked upstairs to do whatever she does when Sakura and I aren't home. I sighed at my her unusual behavior before smiling at my teammate.

"Sorry about that." I apologized. "My mom can be a little . . . Odd sometimes." He chuckled. "So~." I breathed out. "What's up?" He looked away from the pictures hanging on the wall and gazed at me thoughtfully for a moment. "Oh, uhm . . . Daisuke-sensei sent me to get you."

"Why?" He gave a bored shrug. "He said he wanted to get some training done. See where you stand before we go on a mission outside of Konoha." I nodded in understanding and went up to my room to change out of my track pants and tank top.

I rushed to my closet and threw open the doors; gathering all my clothes and frantically pulling them on. I dashed to my vanity and quickly brushed my hair before pulling it into my side ponytail. I slid on all my accessories and did my makeup as fast and neat as possible before flying down the stairs in a hurry.

"Alright, I'm done!" I said, out of breathe. "Let's go!" I grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the house. Not knowing my mom was watching from the upstairs window.

* * *

I followed Kenji to our training grounds and saw Ichigo and Daisuke-sensei already there. I ran to Ichigo and tackled the boy in a hug, "Ichigoo~!" I squealed. "I haven't seen you in forever!" He laughed and swung me in circles.

He set me down and steadied me as I tipped from side to side; dizzy as heck. "I know! Yesterday seemed like a million years ago!" Once separated, Daisuke-sensei instructed that we would be practicing something called 'chakra control.' Ichigo and Kenji had already learned the basics and were forced to practice on the nearby pond; much to their dismay. Sensei talked to me a bit to brief me on how chakra control works. He demonstrated by walking up a tree without falling. I was amazed. I didn't know I was able to do that!

I was to practice on the trees before I could practice on the pond. I picked at the talent for a while; seeming to get it almost instantly. It took me an hour or so to actually control the chakra to stay in my feet. The boys seemed a little steamed I was getting it better than they had when they first learned this. When Daisuke-sensei said I had enough training on that, he ordered the three of us to do some target practice to see how well I coped with my tools. I was okay. I never hit the targets dead on, but I was close. I wasn't much of a tool master. Iruka-sensei told me I was stronger with my taijutsu than genjutsu, ninjutsu, and target practice. Ichigo and Kenji were much better; Ichigo the best of us. I didn't are much. I nearly had it down, so there was no need for jealousy.

We decided to skip ninjutsu and genjutsu -Sensei said I wasn't ready for it yet- and we went strait to our taijutsu. Ichigo and Kenji were to fight first, then I would go up against the winner. I watched with amazement as Ichigo launched a series of punches at Kenji's face. The silver haired ninja blocked most of them but missed a fine uppercut. He staggered back and held his jaw. He winced before glaring at the orange haired boy.

"Damnit Ichigo." He turned his head and spit out a small wad of blood and saliva before running up to Ichigo and rammed his shoulder into the boy's gut. He didn't hesitate to grab Ichigo by the collar of his shirt and repeatedly punched him. Lucky, Ichigo caught Kenji's fist and threw him off. He sent a kick above his groin and elbowed the back of Kenji's neck as the boy tried to deliver an offense move.

Kenji fell to his knees and breathed heavily; trying to regain his regular breathing patterns. Ichigo smirked in victory but was caught off guard when Kenji swung his legs around, supporting himself on his hands, and swiftly knocked down the 'victorious' boy. He pushed his knee down on Ichigo's gut and pulled out a kunai; pressing it firmly against his throat. "I-." Kenji breathed out. "Win."

Daisuke-sensei congratulated them both and sat them down to rest before I was to go up against Kenji. Truthfully, I was a bit scared to fight him. Did you not see how he fought Ichigo! He might not go easy on me, and even if he does I'd still loose. I know I said my taijutsu was great, but not as great as his! We sat around for ten minutes before Kenji got back on his feet and stretched. It was finally our turn. I carefully watched his movements.

"Don't worry." Kenji chuckled. "I'll go easy on yah'."

With a deep breathe I calmed my nerves. If I was to win this fight -which I doubted- I would have to be calm and collected like Kenji and Ichigo were. I opened my eyes and nodded at Sensei. I might as well get this fight over with. After all, this _is_ training. Kenji wouldn't seriously hurt me . . . Right?

"Alright then," Daisuke-Sensei said. ". . . Begin!"

The two of us stayed put. Eyes scanned the other; sizing each other up. I took this opportunity to think of a plan before he makes the first move. If I go into offense so quickly, he could observe my fighting style as he blocks. Knowing my moves, he would then probably find an opening and take over the offensive side. If I let him attack first, I would be in trouble. Watching him spar with Ichigo I noticed he had speed. I don't know how much power his punches hold, but I wasn't going to find out. Testing my chances, I decided I was going to lunge first.

"Hey." I looked at Kenji. "We guna start or what?" I narrowed my eyes. Maybe I could create a small distraction. I made a small hand sign and whispered, "Shadow clone jutsu."

Two copies of myself appeared on either side of me. He gave a playful smile. "Shadow clones?" The clones took off and charged at him. I silently followed behind them. My clones rapidly threw kunai and shuriken at him. He managed to block most, but with twice the weapons to block he got cut a few times. Carefully hiding behind the two, I made two more clone for distraction.

They ran out; one throwing more small tools and the other trying to land a punch on him. He was good. Both dodging tools and punches. I was struggling to keep my first two together and I knew I needed to think fast. I braced myself and flew between the two. I ran as fast as I could and succedfully punched Kenji to the ground. I made sure to stay back a bit. I dismissed all four clones and watched Kenji sit up. He was rubbing his now pinch cheek.

"You said you'd go easy," I said. "But I didn't think you'd go _this_ easy."

He got to his feet. "Hyeh. I didn't. You honestly caught me off guard." I was truly shocked. I actually got him! I didn't have much time to gloat to myself when I felt my right cheek thump violently. I reached up and touched it; feeling a warm and painful sensation at the same time.

"Amaya!" I heard Ichigo shout. "Hurry! Get up!"

I didn't even know I was on the ground! My senses came back an I was lucky to catch Kenji's foot. He was trying to kick me! I rolled back and jumped to my feet. Kenji came at me again and I ducked.

While low, I decked him in the gut and used my left to knock him to the ground. He grabbed my hand and we both fell. The two of us wrestled to get on top. I was currently testing my strength by pushing his shoulders back. He was holding my wrists and pushing me backwards. With the little space between us I wriggled my legs between us and pushed him off with my shins. I jumped up and started a series of punches and kicks.

Left hook…Left hook…right hook…right foot….left foot..left hook.

I gasped as his fists hurled itself towards my face again. I sloppily knocked it away and squeaked as his foot grazed past my nose. We continued like this until two Kunai were whipped out. When I felt his weapon touch my throat, I froze. The cold metal pressed threateningly against my skin; Kenji's hand firmly gripping the knife.

He wasn't the only one with a weapon though. My kunai was pressed, tip first, to his heart. I threw the boy a smirk and drifted my eyes down to his chest; letting him know I had an advantage too. His eyes narrowed and followed my gaze. A tiny gasp slipped past his lips as he noticed my own weapon pressed to his body threateningly.

"Good work you two!" Sensei congratulated. "You did exceptionally well for a rookie, Amaya."

I flipped my kunai back in my weapon pouch and bowed; grinning proudly. "Thank you sensei!"

Ichigo bounced his way over to us. He slapped my back lightly. "Man! To think you just graduated the Academy a couple days ago." He laughed. "You got skills!"

I blushed a little at the attention. "Thanks, Ichigo."

Kenji dusted himself off. "You put up a good fight."

I couldn't contain my grin. It spread like wild fire across my face. What Kenji said wasn't much, but it made my heart thump wildly. I was slightly confused by this. _'Could it be possible-…'_ I thought. _'That I might like Kenji?'_ My eyes drifted over to the silver haired boy. My heart leaped with excitement and my breathing stopped. I averted my eyes and blushed. Oh it's possible alright.

* * *

_Again, I'm really sorry I haven't updated recently. Since I am pretty much done with filler for now, my chapters __might__ be coming in quicker because I'm following the Anime…And I mean that I will watch the Chunin episodes and write down everything everyone says and does…Whoo. Hoo. ^( O _O)^ [-__ Anyone love my cheering smiley! C:]_

_**Please review and subscribe!**_


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